Modification of silica gel by attachment of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole for use in removing Hg(II) from aqueous media: a thermodynamic approach.

The compound 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) was attached onto a silica gel surface by homogeneous and heterogeneous routes. Both silica modification methodologies resulted in similar products, named SiM(hom) and SiM(het), respectively. These materials were characterized by surface area, infrared, thermogravimetry, and 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopy.