MCM-41 Acid as a Sustainable Material from Waste Polystyrene

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Abstract
This study incorporated expanded polystyrene (PS) from waste packaging into the mesoporous material MCM-41 to obtain PS-MCM-41. Both materials were obtained at room temperature, assisted by the ultrasound technique, and functionalized with sulfonated polystyrene (PSSA, Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid) to obtain MCM-41-PSSA and PS-MCM-41-PSSA. The evolution of the pore structures of the synthesized materials was studied using XRD. The functionalized materials' pore size, specific area, and pore volume were reduced. In addition, the thermal stability of PS-modified MCM-41 was improved concerning the parent material. The NH3-TPD technique showed increased strong acid sites, with MCM-41-PSSA being the most acidic material. Incorporating waste material into a silicon-based mesoporous material and its functionalization with sulfonic groups allows the development of a sustainable heterogeneous material with potential applications in heterogeneous acid catalysis. Resumen. En este estudio se incorporó poliestireno expandido (PS) proveniente de empaques de desecho al material mesoporoso MCM-41 para obtener PS-MCM-41. Ambos materiales fueron obtenidos a temperatura ambiente, asistidos por la técnica de ultrasonido, y funcionalizados con poliestireno sulfonado (PSSA, Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid) para obtener MCM-41-PSSA y PS-MCM-41-PSSA. La evolución de las estructuras porosas de los materiales sintetizados se estudió mediante DRX. Se redujo el tamaño de poro, el área específica y el volumen de poro de los materiales funcionalizados. Además, la estabilidad térmica del MCM-41 modificado con PS mejoró con respecto al material original. La técnica NH3-TPD mostró un aumento de los sitios ácidos fuertes, siendo el MCM-41-PSSA el material más ácido. La incorporación de material de desecho en un material mesoporoso basado en silicio y su funcionalización con grupos sulfónicos permite el desarrollo de un material heterogéneo sostenible con potenciales aplicaciones en catálisis ácida heterogénea. In the present research work, the incorporation of waste polystyrene into a material based on mesoporous silica is proposed, as well as the sulfonation of this waste polymer to obtain MCM-41-PSSA with sulfonated polystyrene. The structural, chemical, and surface properties of the materials MCM-41 with polystyrene and MCM-41 with functionalized polystyrene were studied.

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