Silica-Supported Ionic Liquid for Efficient Gaseous Arsenic Oxide Removal Through Hydrogen Bonding

The emission of highly-toxic gaseous As2O3 (As2O3 (g)) from nonferrous metal smelting poses environmental concerns. In this study, we prepared an adsorbent (SMIL-X) by loading an ionic liquid (IL) ([HOEtMI]NTf2) into MCM-41 through an impregnation–evaporation process and then applied it to adsorb As2O3 (g). SMIL-20% exhibited an As2O3 (g) adsorption capacity of 35.48mg/g at 400 °C, which was 490% times higher than that of neat MCM-41. Characterization of SMIL-X indicated that the IL was mainly supported on MCM-41 through O–H…O bonds formed between the hydroxyl groups (–OH) and the silanol groups (Si–OH) and the O–H…F bonds formed between the C–F groups and the Si–OH groups. The hydrogen bonds significantly contributed to the adsorption of As2O3 (g), with –NH and –OH groups forming hydrogen bonds with As–O species (i.e., N–H…O and O–H…O). This showed superior performance to traditional adsorbents that rely on van der Waals forces and chemisorption. Moreover, after exposure to high concentrations of SO2, the adsorption capacities remained at 76% of their initial values, demonstrating some sulfur resistance. This study presents an excellent adsorbent for the purification of As2O3 (g) and shows promising application potential for treating flue gas emitted by nonferrous metal smelting processes. Environmental Implication Arsenic is recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen, and regional arsenic poisoning has emerged as a global public health concern. As a highly toxic gas, gaseous arsenic oxide can condense into fine particles and persist in the atmosphere for extended periods, resulting in long-distance and large-scale environmental contamination. This study is useful for the design of high-performance As2O3 (g) adsorbents and provides a novel strategy for efficiently removing gaseous arsenic oxide from nonferrous metal smelting flue gas.