Real-Time Monitoring of Azo Dye Interfacial Adsorption at Silica-Water Interface by Total Internal Reflection-Induced Surface Evanescent Wave.

An interface research method based on total internal reflection induced evanescent wave (TIR-EW) is developed to monitor the adsorption behavior of azo dye at the silica-water interface. The monitoring system is constructed by employing silica optical fiber (SOF) as both charged substrate for dye adsorption and light transmission waveguide for evanescent wave production. According to the change of evanescent wave intensity and followed by Beer's law, the methylene blue (MB) adsorption behavior can be real-time monitored at the silica-water interface. Langmuir adsorption model and pseudo-first-order model are applied to obtain the related thermodynamic and kinetic data. The adsorption equilibrium constant ( K) and adsorption free energy (Δ G) of MB at the silica-water interface are determined to be (3.3 ± 0.5) × 10 M and -25.7 ± 1.7 kJ mol. Meanwhile, this method is highlighted to isolate elementary processes of adsorption and desorption under steady-state conditions, and gives adsorption rate constant ( k) and desorption rate constant ( k) of 8585 ± 19.8 min and 0.26 ± 0.0006 min for 15 r/min flow rate. The surface interaction process is revealed and adsorption mechanism is proposed, indicating MB first adsorbed on Si-O sites through electrostatic attraction and then on Si-OH sites through hydrogen bond with increasing MB concentrations. Our findings from this study provided molecular-level interpretation of azo dye adsorption at silica-water interface, and the results provide important insight into how MB adsorption can be controlled at the interface.