Author(s)

Zeinab Ibrahim^1,2, Bachar Koubaissy^2*, Yehya Mohsen¹, Tayssir Hamieh¹, T. Jean Daou³, Habiba Nouali³, Maria-Laura Foddis⁴, Joumana Toufaily^2*

¹Laboratoire Matériaux, Catalyse, Environnement et Méthodes Analytiques (MCEMA), EDST, FS, Université Libanaise, Campus Hariri, Hadath, Beyrouth, Lebanon.
²Laboratoire des Etudes Appliquées au Développement Durable et Energie Renouvelable (LEADDER), EDST, Université Libanaise, Campus Hariri, Hadath, Beyrouth, Lebanon.
³Université de Strasbourg, Université de Haute Alsace, Axe Matériaux à Porosité Contrôlée (MPC), Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse (IS2M), UMR CNRS 7361, ENSCMu, 3 bis rue Alfred Werner, Mulhouse Cedex, France.
⁴DICAAR-Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile Ambientale e Architecttura, Università de Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.

Activated Montmorillonite was applied for the sorption of pyridine as a health-toxic substance. Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N₂ physisorption analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) method were used to investigate the structure and composition of Montmorillonite. The batch sorption system was used to study the effect of different parameters on the adsorption. Results had shown that neutral pH had a significant effect on the sorption of pyridine; thermodynamic calculations indicated that the adsorption of pyridine over Montmorillonite was exothermic reaction and the equilibrium capacity was slightly increased by using H₂SO₄ as activating agent by comparison with that obtained by using HCl and H₃PO₄. Fitting the experimental data to isotherms models indicated that the experimental data were well fitted by Fowler Guggenheim isotherm models. Finally the results obtained by FTIR and TGA proved that the relative affinity of the pyridine toward the Montmorillonite was related to the electron donor-acceptor complexes that were formed between the basic sites (nitrogen or oxygen) and hydrogens (acidic site).

Adsorption, Pyridine, Montmorillonite, Chemical Treatment, Surface Properties

Ibrahim, Z. , Koubaissy, B. , Mohsen, Y. , Hamieh, T. , Daou, T. , Nouali, H. , Foddis, M. and Toufaily, J. (2018) Adsorption of Pyridine onto Activated Montmorillonite Clays: Effect Factors, Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism Study. American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 9, 464-481. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2018.910035.