SBA-15 substrate functionalized with –NH2 groups were tested in adsorptive elimination of lead (II) from
aqueous solutions. The NH2/SBA-15 adsorbents were prepared by grafting of synthesized SBA-15 substrate
with different concentrations of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) in order to determine the
optimum amine group concentration. The largest adsorption capacity showed sorbent prepared using
tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)/APTES molar ratio of 3.3. All sorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption–
desorption isotherms, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy,
thermogravimetric analysis (TGA–DTG) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Regardless of
the concentration of amine groups, all synthesized NH2/SBA-15 samples showed higher adsorption
capacity for Pb (II) ions than pure SBA-15 material. For the optimized sorbent formulation, experimental
data showed that the maximum Pb (II) adsorption occurred in the range of pH 5–6 with adsorption maximum
of 93%. The characterization of sorbents after Pb(II) adsorption by UV–vis and XPS spectroscopes
point out to a mechanism of lead adsorption through van der Waals electrostatic interaction between
Pb(II) ions and –NH2 groups located on the sorbent surface. The mechanism of lead adsorption through
the ionic exchange of Pb(II) ions with surface „Si–NH3
+ groups, as determined by XPS, is precluded
because they acts repulsively with approaching lead ions.