Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Nanotube Bundles

Abstract

Mesoporous silica nanotube bundles with short channels were synthesized through a surfactant-templated process with the addition of dodecane. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM) studies show that the channels of the silica nanotubes are parallel gathered in nano-size bundles. Each particle of these nano-size bundles contains less than 10 silica nanotubes. The length of the silica nanotube channel is about 200 nm while the pore size of the channels is about 11 nm. Dodecane solubilized in the hydrophobic cores of P123 micelles leads to large pore size and the unique bundle structure of the silica nanotubes.