A hybrid nanocomposite material has been obtained by in situ formation of an inorganic network in the presence of a preformed organic polymer. Chitosan biopolymer and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), which is the most common silica precursor, were used for the sol-gel reaction. The obtained composite chitosan-silica material has been characterized by physicochemical methods such as differential thermal analyses (DTA); carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN) elemental analysis; nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM); and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine possible interactions between silica and chitosan macromolecules. Adsorption of microquantities of V(V), Mo(VI), and Cr(VI) oxoanions from the aqueous solutions by the obtained composite has been studied in comparison with the chitosan beads, previously crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The adsorption capacity and kinetic sorption characteristics of the composite material were estimated.
Keywords: 78.67.Bf; 78.67.Sc; 81.07.Pr; 81.16.Be; 82.35.Np.