Synthesis and application of polyethylene glycol/vinyltriethoxy silane (PEG/VTES) copolymers

Many studies have explored dye wastewater treatment methods; however, concerns relating to the dye wastewater composition and cost still exist. In this study, we used polyethylene glycol (PEG) and vinyltriethoxy silane (VTES) in different proportions to produce a series of PEG-VTES copolymers, to investigate the interaction between various dyes and the impact of these copolymers on dye absorption. The copolymer molecular structure was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and their impact on dye absorption and dye interaction was investigated. We demonstrate that the series of copolymers produced displayed enhanced dye decolorization with increasing copolymer dose and time. Additionally, the PEG/VTES copolymers and dyes interacted, as the copolymer enabled a shift of the λmax of UV, reducing the absorbance. We also demonstrate that addition of the copolymers reduced the overall zeta electrical potential value of the dye solution and improved dye decolorization most potently at the lowest PEG-VTES molar ratio (2:1).