Pluronic P123 Surfactant Research Articles

Nonionic surfactant-templated mesoporous silica as supports for nickel active catalysts in liquid phase organic compounds oxidation

Three surfactants were selected from a series of EOx/POy/EOx triblock copolymers and ethoxylated octylphenol as nonionic templating agents for the synthesis of silica mesoporous materials at room temperature and by hydrothermal treatment. The surfactants were ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide tri-block copolymers (Pluronic F68) and a polydisperse ethoxylated octylphenol (Triton X-100). The obtained materials were compared with SBA-15 mesoporous silica synthesized with Pluronic P123 surfactant and were used as support to obtain Ni and NiTi-silica catalysts (2.5% NiO, 5% TiO2). The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Catalytic and photocatalytic activity of Ni and NiTi-silica samples were tested, with and without H2O2, for phenol and Brilliant Blue FCF dye oxidative degradation in the liquid phase. The obtained results showed a significant effect of surfactant on silica structure, morphology and texture, and catalytic and photocatalytic properties.

Micellization and gelation characteristics of Pluronic P123 and single ester-bonded cleavable cationic gemini surfactant: A potential system for solubilization and release of ibuprofen

We herein report the mixed micelle and monolayer formation of mixtures of a biocompatible and cleavable oxy-diester twin tailed (gemini) surfactant, 2,2′-[(oxybis(ethane-1,2-diyl))bis(oxy)]bis(N-hexadecyl-N,Ndimethyl-2-oxoethanaminium) dichloride (16-E1-16) with the triblock copolymer, P123 (HO(CH2CH2O)20(CH2CH(CH3)O)70(CH2CH2O)20H) using tensiometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and rheology. It was observed that P123 and 16-E1-16 have strong interaction and form small mixed micelles with similar micellar composition throughout the bulk mole fraction range with insignificant counterion binding. Besides, P123 and 16-E1-16 mixed surfactant system forms thermodynamically stable mixed monolayer that is rich in P123. Variation of viscosity with shear rate revealed better injectable property of the formulations of binary mixtures of P123 and 16-E1-16 compared to pure P123. Also, below α16-E1-16 = 0.3, all the mixtures were in the form of sol which transform into a weak gel at physiological temperatures making these formulations relevant as injectable delivery system. Solubilization capacity of these mixed micelles towards ibuprofen (IBU) showed that addition of 16-E1-16 to P123 micelles reduces its solubilization capacity but with the advantage of making the formulation injectable due to their favorable shear induced viscosity changes and thermogelation properties. Mixed micelles showed faster drug release rate predominantly following Fickian mechanism with negligible contribution of relaxation process in the release phenomena. There is no report showing interaction of biocompatible and cleavable gemini surfactant 16-E1-16 with P123 in mixed micelle and monolayer formation with detailed rheological, drug encapsulation and release studies even though this amphiphilic system has a potential to act as an injectable drug delivery system.

Syntheses of gold supported on metal oxides and their application in organic transformations

Herein, we report a general and straightforward synthesis method for gold supported on mesoporous and microporous metal oxides. Supported materials, in general, show higher crystallinity compare to unsupported systems as verified through powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, through XRD, most of the metal is observed to be in its oxide form, whereas the gold support was found to be in its metallic state, which has been further confirmed from TEM. In terms of surface area, the catalyst was not found to follow any trend. Morphology wise, there are no changes observed after doping except in few cases. Combined results from XRD, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Auger, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest that gold is mainly in the bulk and very little (0.04% in case of gold doped calcium oxide) or non (in case of gold doped mixed manganese-cerium oxide) on the surface. The presence of Au (0) 4f peaks in XPS further confirms the metallic state of the gold. Oxides of indium, magnesium and calcium have been studied for the organic transformation reactions. An enhancement in activity and product selectivity was observed in the case of the gold supported catalysts. Indium serves as a great catalyst for C–C coupling and electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions and gives >99% conversion. Interestingly, 88% selectivity for C–C coupling and >99% selectivity for aromatic substitution have been achieved at 100 °C and room temperature respectively. Magnesium and calcium give Knoevenagel condensation products. At room temperature with very low catalyst loading, >99% conversion and selectivity were observed for the Knoevenagel reaction with as high as 35.30 TOF. A mechanism for the C–C coupling reaction has been proposed based on these results. The general and straightforward synthesis of gold promoted mesoporous and microporous metal oxides were templated using Pluronic P123 surfactant via inverse micelle formation. These catalysts were scanned for the various organic transformation reactions and enhanced activity was shown in the case of gold promoted catalysts. • A general and straightforward synthesis method for gold support mesoporous and microporous metal oxides. • An improvement in metal oxide crystallinity as a result of gold doping. • An enhancement in activity and product selectivity due to the gold supported catalysts. • Indium based C–C coupling and electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions that give >99% conversion. • High selectivity and high conversion for Knoevenagel ester condensation with very low catalyst loading.

Experimental Studies on the Removal of Aluminium Ions from Synthetic Aqueous Solution by Hydroxyapatites.

In this work we have presented the results obtained in the adsorption behavior of hydroxyapatite with different treatment towards aluminium ions from synthetic wastewaters. Experiments were performed in batch technique at different pH values, temperatures, sorbent dosage, contact time and initial aluminium concentration. The thermodynamic studies on the adsorption process of aluminium onto hydroxyapatite indicated that the process is spontaneous and endothermic. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Flory-Huggins, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Temkin equilibrium models were applied to the description of experimental data. The adsorption of aluminium follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The kinetics of adsorption was evaluated using the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models. The rate of aluminium adsorption was successfully described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The obtained results indicated that hydroxyapatite treated with Pluronic P123 surfactant has a higher sorption capacity toward aluminium ions (117.65 mg g-1) than hydroxyapatite treated with Pluronic F127 surfactant (109.89 mg g-1) while untreated hydroxyapatite exhibited the lowest one (104.17 mg g-1).

The effect of morphology-dependent surface charges of iron oxide on the visible light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye

The iron oxide powder was prepared using the surfactant Pluronic P123 with either iron nitrate (N series) or iron chloride (C series) as the raw material for iron source, under different pH conditions. The crystal phase, particle size, surface charge, and morphology of the iron oxide materials prepared by hydrothermal route were found to be highly influenced by the raw materials, and pH conditions of the preparation medium. Irrespective of iron source used, the formation of nanorods was favorable in the case of the basic medium. The iron oxide nanorods (NPBC) with high negative surface charges (− 20.8 mV) outperformed the other iron oxide samples having different morphologies like hexagonal (− 13.8 mV), oval (− 13.4 mV), and agglomerated nanoparticles (+ 12 mV) in the methylene blue degradation with ~ 86% of degradation observed for a very low catalyst loading of 10 mg. A methylene blue degradation of 69, 59, and 39% were observed for hexagonal, oval, and agglomerated nanoparticles, respectively, for the similar amount of catalytic loading. The sample NPBC exhibits a degradation rate constant value of 3.27 × 10–4 s−1 which was 2.9 times higher than the agglomerated nanoparticles with a rate constant value of 1.14 × 10–4 s−1 and the reasons are discussed.

Influence of synthesis variables of a sol-gel process on the properties of mesoporous alumina and their fluoride adsorption

Here, the influence of synthesis variables in the sol-gel process on the structural properties of mesoporous alumina and their fluoride adsorption were investigated. The optimal mesoporous alumina with the employment of the non-ionic surfactant Pluronic P123 as template, aluminum iso-propoxide as aluminum precursor, HNO3 as acid and 600 °C as calcination temperature presented larger surface area, ordered mesoporous structure and more hydroxyl groups, which were beneficial for fluoride adsorption. Expectedly, this improved structure of mesoporous alumina possessed Langmuir fluoride adsorption capacity of 513.9 mg/g, which was more than 3.75 times of many reported adsorbents. The fluoride adsorption on the mesoporous alumina was the combination of electronic attraction by the surface positive charge and ligand exchange reaction of fluoride with surface hydroxyl groups.

Synthesis of nitrogen- and cobalt-doped rod-like mesoporous ZnO nanostructures to study their photocatalytic activity

Nitrogen- and cobalt-doped rod-like mesoporous ZnO nanostructures are synthesized using zinc acetate dihydrate, cobalt nitrate, urea, and surfactant Pluronic P123 in the hydrothermal method. Various characterization tools such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, UV–vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, FTIR, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analyses are used to determine various parameters including crystallite size, band gap energy, elemental composition, recombination rate of charge carrier, pore size along with surface area, and effect of doping on these parameters. To determine the effect of codoping on the adaptable photocatalytic activity of pure ZnO in visible light, three water contaminant models of dissimilar chemical nature such as methylene blue, malachite green, and congo red are used.

Amine functionalized mesoporous hybrid materials: influence of KCl and xylene on the textural characteristics and CO2 sorption

Amine-functionalized mesoporous silica materials were prepared by sol–gel method in the system tetraethylortosilicate: bis[(3- trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine (TEOS: BTPA). The hybrid amine functionalized silica materials were synthesized by co-condensation reaction between TEOS and BTPA precursors in acidic media. Soft template approach for pore formation was applied and as a structural directing agent was used surfactant Pluronic P123. For improving of pore ordering and textural characteristics xylene and KCl were used and their influence on the structural and morphological characteristics was investigated by FTIR, 13C CP MAS NMR, 29Si MAS NMR, BET, PSD and XRD techniques. CO2 adsorption properties of the synthesized amine functionalized hybrid materials were investigated. The simultaneous presence of xylene and KCl leads to improvement of the pore ordering, increasing of the textural characteristics values and formation of cylindrical pores. The determined heats of CO2 adsorption evidenced chemisorption process between CO2 and the amine groups of the hybrid materials.

Highly selective luminescent sensing of Cu2+ in aqueous solution based on a Eu(III)-centered periodic mesoporous organosilicas hybrid

Using Pluronic P123 surfactant as template, a periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) functionalized with 4′-(4-carboxy-methyleneoxy phenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (L-COOH) was successfully prepared via co-condensation using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) and the modified L-COOH (L-COOH-NH2). This terpyridine moiety forms interesting chelates to europium ions and enhances the luminescence of Eu3+ ions. Thus, a novel luminescent hybrid material was developed via linking Eu3+ complex Eu(NTA)3(H2O)2 to L-COOH-functionalized PMO material (L-COOH-PMO) using ligand exchange reactions. Investigation of photoluminescent properties shows that the prepared mesoporous hybrid Eu(NTA)3L-COOH-PMO exhibited red emission, long lifetime and high absolute quantum efficiency Φ in solid-state and aqueous solution. More interestingly, it demonstrates greatly sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+ ions in aqueous medium among test ions. The sensing mechanism was also discussed in this report.

Control of the Porosity and Morphology of Ordered Mesoporous Silica by Varying Calcination Conditions

Abstract In this study, mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was prepared using pluronic P123 surfactant as the structure-directing template, HCl as catalyst and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the silica source. SBA-15 prepared were then dried at 110 o C and calcined at different temperatures (200-700 °C) and were characterized in detail by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and BET surface analyzer. FTIR analysis shows that silica calcined at 110 and 200 o C show characteristic bands for the surfactant which diminishes at 300 o C; indicating incomplete removal of the surfactant. TGA analysis of as-synthesized, uncalcined SBA-15 shows that the degradation of the surfactant is completed at 300 o C. The surface area, total pore volume and mean pore radius increase with increasing calcination temperature up to 500 o C and then decrease at 700 o C. Silica dried at 110 o C and calcined at 200 o C shows almost no porosity, while porous nature starts to appear when silica is calcined at 300 o C. The surface area, mean pore radius and total pore volume of mesoporous silica also show dependence on the calcination time, where the sample calcined for 10.5 h show the highest surface area and pore volume. The condition to obtain highest surface properties and porosity of SBA-15 has been optimized as calcination temperature of 500 o C for a period of 10.5 h.

Bimodal titanium oxide photoelectrodes with tuned porosity for improved light harvesting and polysiloxane-based polymer electrolyte infiltration

In this article, we discuss the effect of the polysiloxane-based poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) electrolytes viscosity on the infiltration into mesoporous and bimodal TiO2 thin films with different thickness, and consequently on the DSSC performance. The mesoporous films contain small mesopores of 8–10 nm, resulted from the use of Pluronic P123 surfactant (SOFT), resulting in high surface area. The DUAL (soft/hard) templated films have unique bimodal porous structures comprising 8–10 nm mesopores and 60–70 nm macropores resulted from the use of P123 and 130 nm polystyrene beads, which encouraged the electrolyte pore infiltration and light harvesting. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms the lower charge transfer resistance of the DUAL templated TiO2 films as opposed to SOFT TiO2 electrodes which corresponds to higher DSSC efficiency, despite having lower dye adsorption thanks to the improved PIL electrolyte infiltration within larger pores. The addition of ionic liquids to PIL significantly lowers the viscosity, increases the ionic conductivity and I3− diffusion rate, resulting in noticeable improvement in photovoltaic performance in both SOFT and DUAL templated photoanodes for all the observed thickness.

Controlling the porosity and crystallinity of MgO catalysts by addition of surfactant in the sol-gel synthesis

Abstract This study presents an easy route to induce pore formation, increase the specific surface area and control the crystallite size of magnesium oxides obtained using the sol-gel method with addition of Pluronic P123 surfactant. The structural characteristics of the materials were evaluated using X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption isotherms, mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy and CO2 temperature programmed desorption. The catalytic properties were assessed using the Knoevenagel condensation reaction. The results showed a systematic decrease of the magnesium oxide crystallinity with increased concentration of the surfactant used in the synthesis. This was associated with increase of the magnesium oxide BET area from 2 m2/g to over 50 m2/g, as well as the formation of pores in the macropore region, as confirmed by microscopy images. In addition, the surface modification resulted in CO2 chemisorption increasing from 378 μmol/g, for the pristine MgO sample, to 1529 μmol/g, for the porous sample, accompanied by an increase in the concentration of strong basic sites. The most porous sample presented the highest catalytic activity in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction.

Mesoporous hydroxyapatite derived from surfactant-templating system for p-Cresol adsorption: Physicochemical properties, formation process and adsorption performance

Mesoporous hydroxyapatite is proposed in this study as an adsorbent to be applied in conjunction with current dialysis system as a viable para-Cresol (p-Cresol) removal agent. The hydroxyapatite was synthesized based on a surfactant-templating method by using non-ionic surfactants (Pluronic P123, Pluronic F127) as templates for creating hollow hydroxyapatite particles and later removed via calcination. The high pressure during calcination caused crystallites of hydroxyapatite to collapse and form solid rod-like particles (27–57 nm). The compact arrangement of these nanoparticles formed bulk material with mesopores of 33–36 nm in diameter. Pure crystalline hydroxyapatite is verified by X-ray diffraction analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mesoporous hydroxyapatite exhibited pore volume of 0.31–0.44 cm3/g and surface area of 35–46 m2/g. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms and kinetics for the p-Cresol adsorption by the hydroxyapatite are investigated. The p-Cresol adsorption equilibrium data is best represented by the Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption kinetics is found to obey the pseudo second order kinetic model. The Pluronic P123 surfactant formed smaller micelle as compared to Pluronic F127 and this resulted in mesoporous hydroxyapatite with better pore characteristics and p-Cresol adsorption capacity. This study confirms the feasibility of applying mesoporous hydroxyapatite as an effective adsorbent for p-Cresol removal in an ideal artificial kidney system.

Synthesis of Novel Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas Containing 1,4,5,8-Naphthalenediimides within the Pore Walls and Their Reduction To Generate Wall-Embedded Free Radicals.

Novel periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) containing 1,4,5,8-Naphthalenediimide (NDI) chromophores as an integral part of the pore walls were synthesized in acidic conditions, in the presence of inorganic tetraethyl orthosilicate, using triblock copolymer surfactant Pluronic P-123 as a template. The NDI precursor, the bridged silsesquioxane N, N'-bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide, was synthesized by reaction of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with excess 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. A series of samples containing up to 19% (weight %) of NDI were prepared (the materials were labeled PMONDIs). 13C and 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance revealed that the NDI moiety was intact in the PMONDIs and efficiently grafted to the silica network. Samples with up to 16% NDI load presented an ordered two-dimensional-hexagonal mesoscopic structure, according to small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Fluorescence spectra of the PMONDIs showed excimer formation upon excitation, suggesting high flexibility of the organic moieties. Reduction of PMONDIs with aqueous sodium dithionite led to the formation of wall-embedded NDI anion radicals, as observed by the appearance of new visible/near-infrared absorption bands. The PMONDIs were also shown to be efficient photocatalysts in the degradation of sulfadiazine, an antibiotic selected here as a model pollutant, which is usually present in water bodies and wastewater.

Phosphotungstic acid immobilized on sulphonic-acid-functionalized SBA-15 as a stable catalyst for the esterification of cyclohexene with formic acid

Abstract Phosphotungstic acid (HPW) was immobilized on a sulphonic-acid-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieve through a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method, using non-ionic surfactant pluronic P123 as a structure-directing agent in acidic media, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as a silicon source and 3-trimethoxysilyl-1-propanethiol (MPTMS) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidized to a sulfonic acid group. The obtained composite material HPW-SBA-15-SO3H has a high specific surface area, large pore volume and increased strong acidity. The effect of raw-material ratio on the catalyst was investigated. Catalysts that were prepared under optimal conditions of a molar ratio of (MPTMS)/ (MPTMS + TEOS) of 1:10, a molar ratio of (H2O2)/(MPTMS) of 18:1 and a mass ratio of (HPW)/(TEOS) of 1:10 exhibited an excellent catalytic activity in the esterification reaction of cyclohexene with formic acid. The cyclohexene conversion exceeded 86.7% and the cyclohexyl formate selectivity was 98.1% after 6 h at 353 K with a mole ratio of cyclohexene to formic acid of 1:3 and a catalyst dosage of 5.7% (w/w). The composite catalyst had a higher catalytic stability than the sulfonic-acid-functionalized SBA-15 and SBA-15-immobilized HPW individually. The cyclohexene conversion reached 72.0% even after reused four times. Fourier transform infrared and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia revealed that a strong interaction existed between the sulfonic-acid group and the HPW, which prevented acid-active component of HPW and sulfonic-acid group loss from the carrier.

Catalytic performance of texturally improved Al-Mg mixed oxides derived from emulsion-synthesized hydrotalcites.

Mixed oxides of aluminum and magnesium derived from hydrotalcites were prepared by means of a sol–gel method mediated by an emulsified sol as pore template. The emulsion consisted of ethanol as the continuous phase and n-dodecane droplets as the dispersed phase, which was stabilized by the presence of the surfactant Pluronic P123. The use of such an emulsion was essential for obtaining materials with a porous structure that were assessed by mercury intrusion porosimetry and nitrogen physisorption. Additional characterization by NH3 and CO2 temperature programmed desorption confirmed that despite the enhancement of their textural properties, the number of acid and base sites was reduced in comparison to a reference and conventionally prepared Al–Mg mixed oxide, as a consequence of the depletion of surface hydroxyls during condensation of the precursors around the nonpolar droplets of the emulsion. Catalytic conversion of 2-propanol under conditions of controlled mass and heat diffusion on the texturally improved Al–Mg mixed oxides evidenced the preparation of a more effective catalyst than the poorly porous reference.

Investigation of the thermophysical properties and stability performance of non-covalently functionalized graphene nanoplatelets with Pluronic P-123 in different solvents

The employment of nanofluids involving the dispersion of nanomaterials in the base fluid has become a major interest of the researchers due to great potential in enhancing the thermophysical properties and heat transfer coefficients. The stability of nanoparticles in base fluids is a major concern with heat transfer applications. The main purpose of this research was to study the stability of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in the presence of Pluronic P-123 surfactant (P-123) in aqueous media and to compare with other common surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and Triton X-100 (TX). Each of the surfactants was mixed with GNPs at different ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. Then, the best ratio with the most stable sample was selected and compared with other samples. The stability of samples was evaluated by using UV-vis spectrometry, zeta potential and particle size distribution. The viscosity and thermal conductivity of the best sample were also measured at different temperatures. High resolution-transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) was used to characterize the morphology of GNPs. Interestingly, P-123 as a new surfactant showed the best colloidal stability between our samples. Furthermore, the presence of SDS, CTAB and TX surfactants in the nanofluids caused the formation of excessive foam, while P123-GNPs showed no foam-formation after shaking within the given time. It is worthy to highlight that the rises in thermal conductivity and stability in the presence of P-123 were higher than those of other surfactants. Also, the addition of rheological property (viscosity) was found to be insignificant once loading P-123.

Surface morphology and physicochemical properties of ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 synthesized at low temperature

The effects of process parameters on the surface morphology and physicochemical characteristics of ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 synthesized at low temperature have been investigated in this study. SBA-15 particles were synthesized through sol-gel method using non-ionic surfactant Pluronic P123 and TEOS as a silica source with aqueous hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a catalyst under the following conditions: HCl concentration (1.0-2.5 M), ageing temperature (40-70ºC) and ageing time (12-48 hours). A series of physicochemical characterizations and material analyses were performed on SBA-15 particles including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), BET surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. From the experimental observation, the conditions of HCl concentration, ageing temperature and ageing time were able to influence the surface morphology of SBA-15 particles. The presence of the ordered structures in SBA-15 particles was observed through the formation of 1-D cylindrical channels and 2-D hexagonal pores, inspected by using TEM. The detected XRD peak at (100) reflection signified the presence of ordered meso structures within the SBA-15 particles. Therefore, synthesis of SBA-15 particles through sol-gel method at low temperature is feasible and more sustainable if compared to the energy intensive hydrothermal method.

One‐pot synthesis of net‐like silica materials with double mesoporous structure

A novel net-like silica material with double mesoporous structure had been synthesised by one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. In the synthesis process, pluronic copolymer P123 (EO20PO70EO20) and non-ionic surfactant OP-10 were used as templates and potassium fluoride (KF) was chosen as the additive. A study was carried out by small-angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for the physical properties of the resultant products. It was found that the net-like silica materials exhibited a unique three-dimensional morphology with the addition of KF and preserved mesoporous structure. Moreover, the samples had double mesopores of 3.6 and 6.5 nm by the result of the nitrogen adsorption isotherm.

Architecture of novel periodic mesoporous organosilicas based on the flexible skeleton of aspartic acid-bridged organosilane

Novel periodic mesoporous organosilicas materials (PMOs) based on the flexible skeleton of aspartic acid were synthesized by the co-condensation of aspartic acid-bridged organosilane (Asp-BOSP) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in an acidic medium, using the Pluronic P123 surfactant as a template. Furthermore, a new amino acid organosilane was developed by the simple reaction between traditional organosilicone ((3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane) and aspartic acid. The small-angle XRD and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms demonstrate that these PMOs materials possess ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructures in the region of low molar concentrations of Asp-BOSP (⩽10%). Analysis of FTIR and 29Si MAS solid-state NMR confirm that the aspartic acid is incorporated into the framework of the PMOs materials.