The work presented describes a study involving the use of chromophoric organic reagents, specifically N-heterocyclic azo dyes 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphtol (HPAN) and 1-(2-thiasolylazo)-2-naphtol (HTAN), to modify silica surfaces for creating organo-mineral composite materials with potential applications. The modified silica surfaces were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption methods. It was found that the best-performing hybrid materials were Zn(TAN)2 immobilized on silica gel Merk 60 and Zn(PAN)2 immobilized on Silpearl UV 250. These materials were then used to investigate the sorption of metal ions from dilute solutions. The study revealed that only Ni(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) ions were effectively adsorbed by the modified sorbents. The color of the sorbents changed significantly based on the nature and initial concentration of the metal ions in the solution. This color change phenomenon was harnessed to develop visual tests and diffusion reflectance spectrometry methods for detecting and quantifying the metal ions. The detection limits for Ni(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) determination were found to be 2 µg/l, 15 µg/l, and 15 µg/l respectively. These methods were successfully applied to analyzing soil extracts and tap water, showcasing their potential utility in environmental monitoring and analysis.