Application of Lecithin-templated Mesoporous Silica Microparticles for the Specific and Selective Removal of Phospholipids

Phospholipids are among the many components of algae bio oil, and they harbor the trans-esterification process by poisoning the catalyst, hence the need for they removal prior to this process is crucial. Mesoporous silica materials are feasible and viable candidates for the selective removal of phospholipids by tailoring their surface morphology using different surfactants (templates) for specific and selective adsorption. In this study, the adsorption of phospholipids using lecithin template mesoporous silica microparticles (Leci-MSM) was investigated. Comparative studies using cetyltriammoniumbromide mesoporous microparticles (CTAB-MSM) were also carried out. Both Leci-MSM and CTAB-MSM were synthesized via sol-gel process, packed into mini columns and used for column breakthrough adsorption studies. Scanning electron micrographs revealed a particle size of 5.0 µm for Leci-MSM and 2.95 µm for CTAB-MSM. Textural analysis by BET and BJH exhibited a surface area of 425 and 1210 m2/g for Leci-MSM and CTAB-MSM, respectively. A pore volume of 1.59 and 2.77 cc/g for Leci-MSM and CTAB-MSM, respectively, were also obtained. In addition, Leci-MSM revealed a column breakthrough volume of 28 mL at 41 min, while for the CTAB-MSM was 46 mL at 53 min. The actual adsorption capacity recorded by Leci-MSM was 11.34 mg/g and 8.71 mg/g for CTAB-MSM.