(574f) Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Mesoporous Silica by Aerosol-Assisted Self-Assembly

Since the first report of MCM-41 with ordered hexagonal arrays of pore channels in the early 1990s, this field has attracted much interest due to its potential applications in catalysts, membrane separation and sensors, electronics, and other areas. Considerable attention has been focused on tailoring the chemical composition of mesoporous materials for applications in catalysis and fabrication of nanocomposites. Therefore, surface modification plays an important role in mesoporous silica materials. In this report, An efficient, productive, and low-cost aerosol-assisted self-assembly process has been developed to produce organically modified mesoporous silica particles via a direct co-condensation of silicate species and organosilicates that contain non-hydrolyzable functional groups in presence of templating surfactant molecules. XRD patterns and TEM images indicate the ordered and disordered structures such as hexagonal, lamellar, or wormlike structures after surface modification. FT-IR and NMR spectra confirm the organic moieties, such as fluoro, methyl, vinyl, and propyl methacrylate are linked covalently to the internal surface of mesoporous channels. Most functionalized samples are mesoporous and possess a decreased surface area, pore volume, and average pore size due to an attachment of organic ligands to the surface of the silica particles. This process presents an economically feasible production of modified mesoporous silica particles for future catalyst, filler and other applications.