Synthesis of ordered mesoporous silica with various pore structures using high-purity silica extracted from rice husk

Abstract

Rice husk is a promising abundant bioresource for the production of high value-added silica materials because it has the highest SiO2 content among all plant-based resources. In this study, ordered mesoporous silica with various pore structures are synthesized from rice husk by combining acid leaching, chemical dissolution, and co-assembly with additional surfactants. Depending upon the type of the surfactant used and the co-assembly conditions, various mesoporous silica that have controlled pore structures (mesocellular forms and hexagonal nanochannel structures), pore sizes (3–60nm), large surface areas (297–895 m2g−1), and pore volumes (0.81–1.77cm3g−1) are successfully synthesized from a sodium silicate solution, which was made from high-purity silica (99.8%) extracted from rice husk. The synthesis of high value-added silica from an abundant bioresource can open up new avenues for sustainable and environment-friendly industrial development.