Design of siliceous lignins – Novel organic/inorganic hybrid sorbent materials

Novel nanoporous lignin(lignocellulose)/SiO2 hybrid materials were designed using the sol–gel process. X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 29Si and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were applied to characterize the hybrids’ surface and bulk structure. Nitrogen and water vapor sorption were used for assessment of porous structure parameters and hydrophobization of matrices, respectively. The efficiency of the hybrid materials obtained was proved by adsorption tests with potential inorganic (Cu2+) and organic (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) pollutants.