Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica from Sugarcane Bagasse as Adsorbent for Colorants Using Cationic and Non-Ionic Surfactants

In Indonesia, the rising sugar production contributes to an increase in sugarcane bagasse waste. This waste can be used for environmental purposes, such as the treatment of colorants in the textile industry using mesoporous silica materials. Previous studies showed the potential of synthesizing mesoporous silica from agricultural waste including corn cob and rice husk. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential use of sugarcane bagasse as an alternative waste source for synthesizing mesoporous silica. Sugarcane bagasse ash, containing a high silica content ranging from 55.5% to 70%, served as the main silica source for synthesis. A combination of surfactant templates, Pluronic 123 (P123), and Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) in a ratio of 1:1, was used to obtain optimal structure, surface area, pore radius, and pore volume. These parameters were optimized to enhance the adsorption of colorants, specifically methyl blue commonly found in textile waste. The characterization techniques used included Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized mesoporous silica showed a surface area of 323.3 m2/g, a pore radius of 2.437 Å, and a pore volume of 0.52 cc/g, with an adsorption capacity of 97.3%. This adsorbent product was expected to provide a cost-effective, eco-friendly source of silica suitable for various dye adsorption applications and the treatment of heavy metals in industrial waste.