Controlled release of molasses melanoidin-like product from hybrid organic-inorganic silica xerogels and its application to the phytoextraction of lead through the Indian mustard.

In this study, we investigate the release of melanoidin-like product (MLP) from hybrid silica xerogels to control the quantity of MLP in the medium for lead phytoextraction. In the preparation of the hybrid organic-inorganic xerogels with MLP, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), propyltriethoxysilane (PTES), and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) were used as precursors. The experimental results suggest that the release of MLP can be easily controlled by partially substituting TEOS with the organosilanes.