Abstract
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with tunable pore size have been proved to be excellent potential in molecular-related applications. Herein, in this study, we designed to synthesize MSN with tunable pore size by varying the n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18TMS)/tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) molar ratio or the ethanol (EtOH)/H2O volume ratio in a water-ethanol-ammonia system, where C18TMS acted as structure-directing agent, TEOS as silica source, ammonia as catalyst, EtOH and H2O as solvents. The as-obtained MSN were characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis. The results showed that the as-synthesized MSN possessed spherical morphology with diameter ranging from 100 to 200nm, and the pore size of MSN could be easily tailored from 2.4 to 6.5nm simply by varying the C18TMS/TEOS molar ratio from 0.32 to 0.74 and the EtOH/H2O volume ratio from 3.6 to 7.5. Meanwhile, the pore volume also could be adjusted from 0.6 to 1.0cm3/g by this strategy. These results suggested that our strategy could effectively enlarge and adjust the mesopores of the MSN. We supposed our approach may provide a platform of nanotechnology for preparation of porous silica materials with adjustable mesopores which would be great potential in practical applications where different sizes of molecules were involved.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
