| Mesoporous magnetic carriers offer many applications, including waste remediation and raw materials recovery. In this thesis, an innovative procedure is described for the synthesis of organofunctionalized mesoporous magnetite (Fe3O4) particles.;The approach is based on the formation of self-assembled micelles (templating) and the subsequent formation of silica walls between the micelles (sol-gel). Removal of templates by calcination results in a mesoporous network. The resultant products showed increase in specific surface area, yet retained their strong magnetization. Some means of controlling pore size was examined by using atomic force microscopy (AFM).;Functionalization of the particles with amino and carboxylic groups was successfully conducted.;The preliminary results of metal ion loading tests demonstrate that the functionalized mesoporous magnetic carriers are an attractive approach for effective removal or selective recovery of metals from industrial effluents. The stripping of metal ions from loaded carriers and regeneration of the carriers were proved to be feasible. |
