Template-directed flower-like lactose with micro-meso-macroporous structure

Abstract

The fabrication of porous materials with multiple physical, chemical and biological properties has been an emerging topic in recent years. In this work, we propose a method using a spray drying and templating technique to fabricate a micro-meso-macroporous lactose material with a flower-like shape. The flower-like lactose has a large surface area of 25m2/g and a high pore volume of 0.31cm3/g. BJH analysis from the N2 adsorption isotherm shows significant pore distributions with peaks at 1.4, 2.2, 6.5 and 17.5nm (diameter). The mechanism of pore-structure formation has been probed by two analysis techniques, including confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and focused ion beam (FIB) etching. As the porous flower-like lactose is a food-grade material, this work may offer new applications in food and pharmaceutical fields where the micropores and macropores are both beneficial.