Structural and Morphological Control of Cationic Surfactant-Templated Mesoporous Silica

Abstract

Micelle-templated mesoporous silica materials are rapidly becoming important in many fields of chemistry for hosting reactants or catalysts in confined space. Fine control of the pore size, wall structure, surface functionalization, defects, and morphology is needed for fine-tuning the pores as nanoreactors. We review the physical chemistry of solution silicate species and surfactants in the synthesis of mesoporous silicas. Controls in surfactant packing and liquid crystalline phase transformation can lead to various tailored synthesis strategies. Postsynthesis treatments further make more stable mesoporous materials.

Production of Porous Silica Microparticles by Membrane Emulsification

“…Upon drying the formed hydrogel shrinks to a xerogel. A surfactant can be dissolved in the silica source to additionally tailor the internal gel structure (surfactant templating method) 7 . The characteristics of a produced dried gel are determined by the physical and chemical conditions at each step of the process of preparation.…”

Doping Mesoporous Materials with Multicolor Quantum Dots

“…Mesoporous silica [1][2][3][4] and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) 5,6 are two distinct classes of nanostructured materials that are under intense study for potential uses in chemical catalysis, chromatographic separations, optoelectronics, and lately for biosensing and biolabeling. [7][8][9] Much of the interest in mesoporous silica arises from its ordered structure of nanopores in the size range of 2-100 nm diameter, 10,11 which provides a stable and accessible surface for immobilizing a variety of functional molecules and small particles.…”

Using Gelatin as Protecting Agent and Organic Template to Synthesize Noble Metal Nanoparticles and Metal Nanoparticles@Mesoporous Silica for SERS and CO Oxidation Applications

“…(1) Owing to their high stability and low biotoxicity, mesoporous silicas can be considered as a superior solid matrix for the incorporation of nanoparticles and catalytic reaction sites. (2)(3)(4) In typical synthetic methods for nanoparticles containing mesoporous silica, complicated synthetic procedures including the preparation of mesoporous silicas, surfactant removal, and the chemical vapor deposition of the precursor of the nanoparticles are required.…”