In this work, porous silica nanocapsules and silica nanospheres have been successfully fabricated by a novel combination of stabilizing condensation and dynamic self-assembly. When ethyl ether was used as a cosolvent, porous silica nanocapsules were obtained. In contrast, when 2-ethoxyethanol was used, silica porous nanospheres were produced. The silica nanostructures were characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements. They had high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas and large pore volumes. The order of their pore structures increased with an increase of the corresponding cosolvent. In situ encapsulation of organic molecules into silica nanocapsules and their controlled release were further investigated by using pyrene as a typical example. As many dyes, drugs, etc. are organic molecules, the current approaches will doubtlessly open many possibilities toward biological and technological applications.

A novel in situ approach to mass fabrication of carbon nanotubes was reported. Composites of polypropylene (PP)/organomontmorillonite (OMMT)/nickel formate (NF) were prepared by mixing these components in a Brabender mixer at an elevated temperature. Chestnut-like carbon nanotube (CNT) spheres were in situ fabricated in high yields by heating the PP/OMMT/NF composites at 900 degrees C without adding any additional pre-synthesized nickel nanocatalysts. The products were studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. The results showed that nickel nanoparticles were in situ produced, which catalyzed the formation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in an autoclave-like microreactor formed by OMMT. These in situ formed nickel nanoparticles were found to be more catalytically active than pre-synthesized nickel nanocatalysts, resulting in higher yields of CNTs. The obtained CNT spheres have a high surface area, which makes them a good catalyst support. Loading of metal nanoparticles was preliminarily tried, and Pt nanoparticles of ca. 2.65 nm in size were successfully deposited on CNTs. The applications of these nanocatalysts in chemical reactions are currently being studied in our laboratory.

Dual-functional air filter paper with addition of Zr(OH)4 was prepared by an intra-pulp addition method, whose filtration performance is maintained while the decontamination performance is added for HD and VX.