Interaction Of Silica Research Articles

Studies of Bitumen−Silica and Oil−Silica Interactions in Ionic Liquids

Previous work in this laboratory has shown that bitumen and oil can be readily separated from sand, using ionic liquids at ambient temperatures. To probe the mechanism underlying the relative ease of separation, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to study interaction forces and adhesion between bitumen surfaces and a silica probe in the presence of liquid media. The energy of adhesion between bitumen samples obtained from both Canadian and U.S. oil sands are approximately an order of magnitude smaller in an ionic liquid medium than in aqueous solution. This behavior was traced to the ability of ionic liquids to form layered charge structures on surfaces. Although interactions between the silica probe and an aged crude oil sample could not be determined, because the probe adhesion to the oil film exceeded the force capacity of the AFM, thermodynamic considerations indicate that the energy of separation of silica from aged oil is also significantly smaller in an ionic liquid medium than in aqueous solution.

Preparation and properties of melt‐mixed metallocene polyethylene/silica nanocomposites

AbstractMetallocene polyethylene (mPE)/silica nanocomposites were prepared via melt mixing. Two types of commercial fumed nanosilica, bare silica (A200) and organic modified silica (R974), were incorporated to improve the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the modified silica was dispersed slightly better within the mPE matrix. No distinct effects on the thermal behaviors of the fast‐crystallizing mPE matrix were observed with variations in both the silica dosages and types. Thermal stability was enhanced through the addition of nanosilica, with or without surface treatment. The surface‐modified silica system showed slightly higher tensile strength and Young's modulus compared with the bare silica system, as evidenced by a rheological study using a Cole‐Cole plot to assess enhanced polymer matrix‐dispersed silica interactions, especially for high dosages of organic modified silica. A limited increment in the dynamic storage modulus for modified silica cases, completely opposite of that observed for bare silica cases, was due to the low‐aspect ratio of smaller agglomerates from highly dispersed organic modified silica within the mPE matrix. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Pulsed Field Gradient NMR Investigations of Alkyltripropylammonium−Silica Mixtures

Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) spectroscopy has been used to study the organocation−silica interactions in silica−alkyltripropylammonium solutions. Mixtures containing silica and methyltripropylammonium, ethyltripropylammonium, and tetrapropylammonium cations have been investigated to determine how the organocation structure and hydrophobicity affect organocation−silica interactions. PFG NMR results show that, in the presence of silica, the diffusion coefficients of the tetraalkylammonium organocations decreased compared with those of the cations in water alone. This decrease is attributed to a reduction in the cation mobility as the cations interact with the silica nanoparticles. The diffusion coefficients as a function of the organocation concentration were measured to determine the fraction of organocations bound to the silica through a model that considers the cation in either a free or a bound state. The resulting adsorption isotherms were fit with the Langmuir model, from which the free energy of binding was determined to be between 10 and 13 kJ/mol. This value appeared insensitive to the organocation identity and the silica content of the mixture, although the most hydrophilic cation had the highest binding energy. The results show that the organocation−silica interactions play an important role in zeolite formation and can help to develop a more general approach to making high-silica zeolites from optically transparent mixtures containing silica nanoparticles.

Particle Capture via Discrete Binding Elements: Systematic Variations in Binding Energy for Randomly Distributed Nanoscale Surface Features

This work examines how the binding strength of surface-immobilized "stickers" (representative of receptors or, in nonbiological systems, chemical heterogeneities) influences the adhesion between surfaces that are otherwise repulsive. The study focuses on a series of surfaces designed with fixed average adhesive energy per unit area and demonstrates quantitatively how a redistribution of the adhesive functionality into progressively larger clusters (stronger stickers) increases the probability of adhesive events. The work employs an electrostatic model system: relatively uniform, negative 1 μm silica spheres flow gently over negative silica flats. The flats contain small amounts of randomly positioned nanoscale cationic patches. The silica-silica interaction is repulsive; however, the cationic patches (present at sufficiently low levels that the overall surface charge remains substantially negative) produce local attractions. In this study, the attractions are relatively weak so that multiple patches engage to capture flowing particles. Experiments reveal an adhesion signature characteristic of a renormalized random distribution when the sticker strength is increased at an overall fixed binding strength per unit area of surface. The form of the particle capture curves are in good quantitative agreement with a simple model that assumes only a fixed adhesion energy needed for particle capture. Aside from the quantitative details that provide a simple formalism for anticipating particle adhesion, this work demonstrates how increasing the heterogeneities in the surface functionality can cause a system to go from being nonadhesive to becoming strongly adhesive. Indeed, systems containing small amounts of discretized adhesive functionality are always more adhesive than systems in which the same functionality is distributed uniformly over the surface (the mean field scenario).

Monitoring peptide-surface interaction by means of molecular dynamics simulation

Protein adsorption and protein surface interactions have become an important research topic in recent years. Very recently, for example, it has been shown that protein clusters can undergo a surface-induced spreading after adsorption. Such phenomena emphasize the need of a more detailed insight into protein–silica interaction at an atomic level. Therefore, we have studied a model system consisting of a short peptide, a silica slab, and water molecules by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations. The study reveals that, besides of electrostatic interactions caused by the chosen charge distribution, the peptide interacts with the silica surface through formation of direct peptide-surface hydrogen bonds as well as indirect peptide–water-surface hydrogen bonds. The number of created hydrogen bonds varies considerably among the simulated structures. The strength of hydrogen bonding determines the mobility of the peptide on the surface and the internal flexibility of the adsorbed peptide.

Genesis of active and inactive species during the preparation of MoO 3/SiO 2–Al 2O 3 metathesis catalysts via wet impregnation

The wet impregnation of ammonium heptamolybdate onto silica–alumina is used to prepare MoO 3/SiO 2–Al 2O 3 heterogeneous metathesis catalysts. The preparation is inspected in details in conjunction with physico-chemical characterization tools with the aim to identify the parameters that dictate the genesis of active and inactive metathesis species. The effects of the MoO 3 loading and of the calcination temperature are systematically explored. The samples are characterized by N 2-physisorption, ICP-AES, XRD, Raman, 27Al MAS-NMR and XPS and evaluated in the metathesis of propene to butene and ethene. Particular attention is brought to the interaction of the mesoporous silica–alumina support with the active component, to the decomposition of the precursor salt and to the location of the molybdenum oxide phase with respect to the pores of the support. It is shown that the temperature of calcination influences markedly the performances of the catalyst. High temperature treatments are necessary to decompose efficiently the Mo salt precursor. In the metathesis of propylene, the performances are levelling off when the MoO 3 loading is increased above ∼8 wt.%. This effect is correlated to the build up of MoO 3 crystals and of Al 2(MoO 4) 3 at relatively high loading.

A Solution Study of Silica Condensation and Speciation with Relevance to in Vitro Investigations of Biosilicification

Requiring mild synthesis conditions and possessing a high level of organization and functionality, biosilicas constitute a source of wonder and inspiration for both materials scientists and biologists. In order to understand how such biomaterials are formed and to apply this knowledge to the generation of novel bioinspired materials, a detailed study of the materials, as formed under biologically relevant conditions, is required. In this contribution, data from a detailed study of silica speciation and condensation using a model bioinspired silica precursor (silicon catechol complex, SCC) is presented. The silicon complex quickly and controllably dissociates under neutral pH conditions to well-defined, metastable solutions of orthosilicic acid. The formation of silicomolybdous (blue) complexes was used to monitor and study different stages of silicic acid condensation. In parallel, the rates of silicomolybdic (yellow) complex formation, with mathematical modeling of the species present, was used to follow the solution speciation of polysilicic acids. The results obtained from the two assays correlate well. Monomeric silicic acid, trimeric silicic acids, and different classes of oligomeric polysilicic acids and silica nuclei can be identified and their periods of stability during the early stages of silica condensation measured. For experiments performed at a range of temperatures (273-323 K), an activation energy of 77 kJ.mol(-1) was obtained for the formation of trimers. The activation energies for the forward and reverse condensation reactions for addition of monomers to polysilicic acids (273-293 +/- 1 K) were 55.0 and 58.6 kJ.mol(-1), respectively. For temperatures above 293 K, these energies were reduced to 6.1 and 7.3 kJ.mol(-1), indicating a probable change in the prevailing condensation mechanism. The impact of pH on the rates of condensation were measured. There was a direct correlation between the apparent third-order rate constant for trimer formation and pH (4.7-6.9 +/- 0.1) while values for the reversible first-order rates reached a plateau at circumneutral pH. These different behaviors are discussed with reference to the generally accepted mechanism for silica condensation in which anionic silicate solution species are central to the condensation process. The results presented in this paper support the use of precursors such as silicon catecholate complexes in the study of biosilicification in vitro. Further detailed experimentation is needed to increase our understanding of specific biomolecule silica interactions that ultimately generate the complex, finely detailed siliceous structures we observe in the world around us.

Magnetic interactions in silica coated nanoporous assemblies ofCoFe2O4 nanoparticles with cubic magnetic anisotropy

Magnetic interactions in silica coated spherical nanoporous assemblies ofCoFe2O4 nanoparticles have been investigated by low temperature field dependent remanent magnetization (MDCD andMIRM) and magnetization relaxation measurements. The synthesis procedure leads to theformation of spherical aggregates of about 50–60 nm in diameter composed of hexagonalshaped nanocrystals with shared edges. The negative deviation from the non-interactingcase in the Henkel plot indicates the predominance of dipole–dipole interactions favouringthe demagnetized state, although the presence of exchange interactions in theporous system cannot be excluded. The activation volume, derived from timedependent magnetization measurements, turns out to be comparable with the particlephysical volume, thus indicating, in agreement with static and dynamic irreversiblemagnetization measurements, that the magnetization reversal actually involves individualcrystals.

Direct Wolf summation of a polarizable force field for silica

We extend the Wolf direct, pairwise r(-1) summation method with spherical truncation to dipolar interactions in silica. The Tangney-Scandolo interatomic force field for silica takes regard of polarizable oxygen atoms whose dipole moments are determined by iteration to a self-consistent solution. With Wolf summation, the computational effort scales linearly in the system size and can easily be distributed among many processors, thus making large-scale simulations of dipoles possible. The details of the implementation are explained. The approach is validated by estimations of the error term and simulations of microstructural and thermodynamic properties of silica.

Effects of zirconia promotion on the structure and performance of smaller and larger pore silica-supported cobalt catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

The effects of modification with zirconia on the properties of cobalt species in cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts supported by mesoporous silicas with different porous structures were investigated using nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction, in situ magnetic measurements and X-ray absorption. The catalysts were prepared by sequential incipient impregnation using solutions of cobalt nitrate and zirconyl nitrate. The effects of zirconia modification on the structure and performance of cobalt based catalysts differ considerably with cobalt catalysts supported by smaller pore MCM-41 and larger pore SBA-15 silicas. In SBA-15 supported samples, modification with zirconia did not result in any significant change in cobalt reducibility and dispersion. Therefore, the concentration of active cobalt metal surface sites on all SBA-15 supported catalysts was comparable, which led to the similar catalytic performance in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. In MCM-41 supported cobalt catalysts zirconia promotion weakened the cobalt–silica interaction and led to the preferential localization of Co 3O 4 crystallites on the outer surface of the support. Higher zirconia loading led to larger cobalt particles in the zirconia-modified CoMCM-41 catalysts which displayed easier cobalt reduction. The catalytic activity of CoMCM-41 catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch reaction passed through a maximum as a function of zirconia content. The highest activity corresponded to the maximum concentration of cobalt metal sites.

PFG NMR Investigations of Tetraalkylammonium−Silica Mixtures

The results from PFG NMR studies of several tetraalkylammonium−silica mixtures are reported. pH data of these mixtures correlate well with previously reported literature. 1H NMR shows line broadening and shifting of resonances for hydrogen atoms on the periphery of the TAA cations as the silica content is increased. Transverse relaxation measurements show a strong correlation with the pH data in that T2 decreases strongly until the silica critical aggregation concentration (cac) is reached at which point the T2 plateaus. These results point to organocation−silica interactions, which were quantified by using pulsed-field gradient NMR. The self-diffusion coefficient of a series of TAA cations in the presence of silica were measured, and a systematic decrease of the diffusion coefficient is observed as the cation/silica ratio decreases. Subsequent analysis gives confidence that the diffusion behavior of the TAA cations can be described as a two-state system, where cations are either free in solution or bound to the silica nanoparticles in the mixture. On the basis of this binding isotherms can be constructed and binding energies can be determined. These values are in the range of −10 to −14 kJ/mol, with tetramethylammonium on the high end and tetrapropylammonium cations on the low end. One conclusion drawn from this work is that the more hydrophilic TMA cations associate more strongly with the silica nanoparticles than TPA. The investigation shows that PFG NMR is a powerful tool for investigating these clear mixtures, and the results are discussed in the context of zeolite nucleation and growth.

Silica Scaling on Reverse Osmosis Membranes - Investigation and New Test Methods

Scaling calculations are usually only based on the silicate concentration in the feed water, because suitable test methods for the interaction of silica with other ions are missing. As the contents of the other ions, i.e. above all calcium and magnesium are not considered, this method is incorrect and can lead to substantial problems. In this paper first the results of laboratory experiments investigating the influence of different cations on the behaviour of supersaturated solutions of silica in different test waters are discussed. Subsequently, the results of the new membrane-based test method considering the influence of Ca2+ and Mg2+, the pH-value and the addition of antiscalants are discussed. Different methods of analysis made it possible to distinguish three groups of silicates: ‘monomeric’, ‘polymeric’ and ‘filterable’. Ca2+ and Mg2+-ions have a strong influence on the formation of filterable silicate and on the kinetics of the formation of the different silicate species. The ‘polymeric silica’ is mainly responsible for the membrane scaling, and the kinetic of its formation is strongly influenced by the cations and the pH-Value. The antiscalant Osmotech 1309 makes it possible to operate the plant at significantly higher recovery rates, resp. at higher SiO2-concentrations.

Interaction Forces for Symmetric Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Systems in Aqueous Isopropanol Solutions

Interaction force measurements were performed for a silica-silica hydrophilic system and for a silanated silica-silanated silica hydrophobic system using the atomic force microscopy colloidal probe technique. The influence of the solution composition on interaction forces was investigated. The hydrophilic silica-silica interactions were found to be described as a typical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) system in solutions of various compositions, whereas silanated silica-silanated silica interactions were dominated by a long-range hydrophobic force. An increase in the isopropyl alcohol content of the solution diminishes both the repulsive forces in the case of the hydrophilic system and the attractive interactions in the case of the hydrophobic system.

Study of the Pluronic−Silica Interaction in Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica under Mild Acidic Conditions

The interaction between silica and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in water may appear trivial and it is generally stated that hydrogen bonding is responsible for the attraction. However, a literature search shows that there is not a consensus with respect to the mechanism behind the attractive interaction. Several papers claim that only hydrogen bonding is not sufficient to explain the binding. The silica-PEO interaction is interesting from an academic perspective and it is also exploited in the preparation of mesoporous silica, a material of considerable current interest. This study concerns the very early stage of synthesis of mesoporous silica under mild acidic conditions, pH 2-5, and the aim is to shed light on the interaction between silica and the PEO-containing structure directing agent. The synthesis comprises two steps. An organic silica source, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), is first hydrolyzed and Pluronic P123, a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymer, is subsequently added at different time periods following the hydrolysis of TEOS. It is shown that the interaction between the silica and the Pluronic is dependent both on the temperature and on the time between onset of TEOS hydrolysis and addition of the copolymer. The results show that the interaction is mainly driven by entropy. The effect of the synthesis temperature and of the time between hydrolysis and addition of the copolymer on the final material is also studied. The material with the highest degree of mesoorder was obtained when the reaction was performed at 20 degrees C and the copolymer was added 40 h after the start of TEOS hydrolysis. It is claimed that the reason for the good ordering of the silica is that whereas particle formation under these conditions is fast, the rate of silica condensation is relatively low.

Comparative Study of Plasma-Thiophene and -Acetylene Coated Silica in SBR and EPDM Reinforcement

Abstract The surface characteristics of silica were modified by plasma-thiophene and -acetylene film deposition. The plasma-coated fillers were blended with S-SBR and EPDM, and their influence on the final vulcanizate properties was compared with untreated silica and silanized silica. The change in the surface energy of plasma-acetylene (PA) and thiophene- (PTh) coated silica was characterized by immersion tests in liquids of various surface tension, water penetration measurements, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). All techniques gave evidence of a polymeric PA- and PTh-film deposition on the surface of silica. The properties of S-SBR and EPDM, filled with untreated, PA-, PTh- and silane-treated silica, were investigated by measurement of the Payne effect, bound rubber content and weight loss related to bound rubber, the reinforcement parameter, relative ranking of cross-link density and mechanical properties. The results show a lower degree of flocculation for PTh-silica filled EPDM due to a better match of the surface energies compared to untreated and PA-treated silica. EPDM filled with plasma-thiophene coated silica shows the lowest reinforcement parameter value, thus improved dispersion compared to untreated, silane-treated and plasma-acetylene silica. However, PA-silica filled EPDM shows better mechanical properties compared to untreated and plasma-thiophene coated silica. The PTh-silica filled S-SBR shows a higher bound rubber content, which results in better mechanical properties of the S-SBR compound compared to the one with PA-coated silica. The overall results show that the compatibility and interaction of silica with different rubbers can be controlled by tailoring the surface energy of the filler by plasma-polymerization. The different functionalities on the silica surface result in different levels of compatibility and interaction, as well as final vulcanizates properties.

Oxygen Adsorption on β-Cristobalite Polymorph: Ab Initio Modeling and Semiclassical Time-Dependent Dynamics

The adsorption dynamics of atomic oxygen on a model beta-cristobalite silica surface has been studied by combining ab initio electronic structure calculations with a molecular dynamics semiclassical approach. We have evaluated the interaction potential of atomic and molecular oxygen interacting with an active Si site of a model beta-cristobalite surface by performing DFT electronic structure calculations. As expected, O is strongly chemisorbed, E(b) = 5.57 eV, whereas molecular oxygen can be weakly adsorbed with a high-energy barrier to the adsorption state of approximately 2 eV. The binding energies calculated for silica clusters of different sizes have revealed the local nature of the O,O(2)-silica interaction. Semiclassical collision dynamic calculations show that O is mainly adsorbed in single-bounce collisions, with a smaller probability for adsorption via a multicollision mechanism. The probability for adsorption/desorption (reflected) collisions at the three impact energies is small but not negligible at the higher energy considered in the trajectory calculations, about P(r) = 0.2 at E(kin) = 0.8 eV. The calculations give evidence of a complex multiphonon excitation-deexcitation mechanism underlying the dynamics of stable adsorption and inelastic reflection collisions.

Photophysical Properties of Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles Bearing Different Types of Dye−Silica Interactions

Photophysical properties of three types of dye-doped silica nanoparticles (NPs) with different dye−silica interactions have been investigated. In two cases the dye−silica interactions are noncovalent, where tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride (Rubpy) is attracted to the silica network electrostatically and tetramethylrhodamine-dextran (TMR-Dex) is trapped inside the silica matrix through spatial/steric hindrance. In the third case, tetramethylrhodamine-5-isothiocyanate (TRITC) modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to form TMR-APTES is bound to the silica matrix covalently. Although in all three types of architectures absorption, excitation, and emission spectra show only small red-shifts (<5 nm) as compared with free dye in water, excited state emission lifetimes, quantum yields, and anisotropies vary significantly and in quite different ways between the three architectures. All three types of interactions facilitate effective encapsulation of dye within a silica network. However, cov...

Exploring the simultaneous effect of nano-silica reinforcement and electron-beam irradiation on a model LDPE/EVA-based TPE system

BACKGROUND: The technical properties of polyolefinic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) systems can be modified significantly using fillers like nano-silica. Controlled irradiation can potentially be an effective way of tailoring the technical properties of such nano-silica-filled TPE systems. RESULTS: The effect of controlled electron-beam irradiation on the properties of a pristine silica nanoparticle-filled model low-density polyethylene/ethylene–(vinyl acetate) (LDPE/EVA) TPE system is explored in this paper. The morphology of such a filled system was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field-emission SEM. The dispersion of silica particles was analysed using transmission electron microscopy which clearly indicates that at low loading a fine dispersion of silica occurs in the polymer matrix. Swelling studies and Fourier transform infrared analyses indicate the occurrence of a favourable EVA–silica interaction. On the whole, it is observed that electron-beam irradiation induces a high degree of reinforcement in all the silica-filled samples through interfacial crosslinking as well as controlled crosslinking in the two polymer phases. In a few samples the processing characteristics are remarkably preserved following concurrent nano-silica reinforcement and irradiation, while the technical properties of TPE systems, including set, solvent swelling and mechanical properties, are improved. However, the improvement in properties is a strong function of sequence of addition of filler in the LDPE/EVA blends. CONCLUSION: The green technique studied can be potentially extended for the improvement of the technical properties of conventional TPE systems. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Silica–zirconia mixed oxide samples by an hybrid materials based innovative preparation procedure: Influence of preparation procedure and composition on active sites

Abstract In this work, the interaction of amorphous silica–zirconia mixed oxide samples obtained from inorganic–organic silica-based hybrid materials with pyridine and CO2 was studied to investigate their acid/base character. Several silica–zirconia mixed oxide powders characterized by different [Zr/Si] atomic ratios were prepared and treated at increasing temperatures both in a conventional muffle and with microwave technology. The powder samples were characterized with Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) and X-ray Photoelectron (XP) spectroscopies. The surface acidic and basic active sites were investigated (with DRIFT spectroscopy) by chemisorbing probe molecules (pyridine, carbon dioxide). The obtained results revealed the presence of both Lewis and Bronsted acidic sites on the amorphous silica–zirconia mixed oxide powder surfaces. Several acidic sites characterized by different strength were observed; the acidic sites distribution is markedly influenced by the sample composition and by the heat treatment: more numerous acidic sites form on the surface of the samples treated with microwaves with respect to the muffle treated ones; the increment of the temperature and the decrease of the zirconium content cause a significant decrement of the acidic sites. No basic sites were revealed.

Novel fluorescence nanostructured materials obtained by entrapment of an ornamental bush extract in hybrid silica glass

Synthesis of some novel fluorescence nanomaterials loaded with photoactive polyphenols originated from plants with a high spectrum of biological activity, by replacing synthetic chemicals, may open new opportunities for optical and bio-medical applications. This paper presents the synthesis, characterization and fluorescence properties of a new class of materials based on host hybrid matrices obtained through templated sol–gel route, by hydrolysis and co-condensation of tetraorthoethylsilicate with octaisobutyltetracyclo [7.3.3.15,11] octasiloxane-endo-3,7-diol. The aim of paper is focused on the evaluation of the behavior of the fluorescence properties of ornamental bush extract at immobilization in a templated silica matrix and in a silica-silsesquioxane network, using as templates a neutral, non-toxic and biodegradable surfactant from poly(ethyleneglycol) class and a high biocompatible non-surfactant from glucidic class. The proofs of ornamental bush extract entrapment by physical interactions in silica based networks were provided by FT-IR and UV–VIS spectroscopy. The changes of polymer network due to the hydrogen bond interactions between residual Si–OH groups and functional groups of organic molecules from extract were evidenced by shifts of specific vibrations. In UV–VIS-NIR domain, the chromophore groups from ornamental bush extract were also evidenced by similar small shifts. As a result of ornamental bush extract entrapment, in all the immobilized samples the fluorescence intensity was more than 10 times amplified in samples templated with poly(ethylenglycol) surfactant) and of about 5 times in samples with glucidic template due to the physical adsorption of polyphenolic molecules from extract, excellent synergistic optical properties of SiO2 and silsesquioxane compound and also due to a favorable conformational arrangement. The size of synthesized polymeric materials, estimated by dynamic light scattering technique showed main diameters less then 1.4 μm, namely 1,060 and 211 nm—for samples with d-glucose template and 1,330 and 531 nm—for samples with poly(ethyleneglycol) template, respectively, with a narrow size distribution and a polidispersity varying between 0.022 and 0.426. These results are in good accordance with TEM images that evidenced the presence of some polymeric aggregates which contain the vegetal extract immobilized inside hybrid SiO2-Sq polymeric network of about hundred nanometers size. This study bring new contributions to the development of the sol–gel procedure by entrapment of a complex vegetable mixture in polymeric matrices as integral component of silica and hybrid silica-silsesquioxane networks which leads to a significant enhancement of the functional properties of the final material, thus diversifying the potential applications of organic doped sol–gel glasses.