offers also an alternative route to modify chemically
SiO2 particles to elaborate novel adsorbents. Condensation of functionalized
trialkoxysilanes (EtO)3Si R with these surface-bound
Si OH groups allows to graft silica with organic groups suitable
to ligate metal ions. We have recently employed this technique to
attach 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane on the surface of silica particles
and studied the propensity of this amino-functionalized silica
to capture Cu(II) ions [34].