Facile synthesis of mesoporous silica derived from iron ore tailings for efficient adsorption of methylene blue

Abstract The recycle of iron ore tailings is of great significance for environmental protection and sustainable development. In this paper, a facile approach to synthesize mesoporous silica derived from iron ore tailings is reported. The influence of alkali fusion and acid leaching treatment on microstructures and physicochemical properties of iron ore tailings is investigated in detail. The alkali fusion treatment destructed the network structure, converting the iron ore tailings to highly reactive state. The following acid leaching treatment selectively dissolved the metal ions to form abundant porous structures, and generated silica nanoparticles with inter-particle mesopores. The as-obtained mesoporous silica showed a specific surface area of 544.68 m2 g−1 with well-developed porosity. As an adsorbent, the prepared mesoporous silica material showed good monolayer adsorption with adsorption capacity of 192 mg g−1 for methylene blue dye in aqueous solution. This study provides a new way to convert iron ore tailings into high-value-added mesoporous materials, which has the potential application in environment protection.