Chemical‐Template Synthesis of Micro/Nanoscale Magnesium Silicate Hollow Spheres for Waste‐Water Treatment

Abstract

Micro/nanoscale magnesium silicate hollow spheres were synthesized by using silica colloidal spheres as a chemical template in one pot. The hollow spherical structure, consisting of well‐separated nanoscale units, was microscale as a whole and could be easily handled in solution. The as‐synthesized magnesium silicate hollow spheres with large specific surface area showed availability for the removal of organic and heavy‐metal ions efficiently from waste water. Importantly, the micro/nanoscale magnesium silicate hollow spheres that had adsorbed organic pollutants could be regenerated by calcination and used repeatedly in pollutant removal. Magnesium silicate hollow spheres synthesized by a scaled‐up chemical template method may have potential applications in removing cationic dyes and heavy‐metal ions from waste water.