Surfactant-assisted Sol-gel Method Research Articles

Nanoarchitectonics of catalytic tubular nanomotors based on Cu/Fe@SBA-15 for lung cancer treatment

AbstractFabrications of nanomotors (NMs) are at the forefront of exploring the true potential of nanotechnology. Tubular nanomotors (TNMs) have been attracting huge interest recently. NMs based on 2D-hexagonal mesoporous silica (SBA-15) have been prepared through the surfactant-assisted sol–gel method. Copper and/or iron oxide nanoparticles have been impregnated in SBA-15 to form catalytic tubular nanomotors. Characterization has been investigated by XPS, XRD, HR-TEM, SEM–EDS, and BET. The electrochemical measurements were used to confirm the motion of the nanomotors. By increasing the loading of metal oxide nanoparticles, the motion decreases; this could be observed from the current loss. The anti-cancer potential of synthesized nanomotors against two cell lines (A549 and H460) of human lung carcinoma has been tested. Among all tested NMs, high-metal oxide-loaded materials containing CuO only as well as CuO and Fe2O3 are potent and significant in apoptotic cell death for lung cancer treatment. Graphical abstract

Exploring moisture adsorption on cobalt-doped ZnFe2O4 for applications in atmospheric water harvesting.

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SBAWH) is a highly promising approach for extracting water from the atmosphere thanks to its sustainability, exceptional energy efficiency, and affordability. In this work, ZnFe2O4 and Zn0.4Co0.6Fe2O4 were evaluated for moisture adsorption. The desired materials were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method. Synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and point of zero charge (PZC). Crystallinity and phase composition were evaluated by XRD analysis. Several parameters were determined using XRD analysis: lattice parameter, unit cell volume, crystallite size, and bulk density. The morphology of synthesized materials was assessed via SEM, and unveiled the acquisition of consistent, homogeneous, and uniform crystals. Elemental composition was determined through EDX spectroscopy. Water adsorption on the surface was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy. The magnetic properties of synthesized ZnFe2O4 and cobalt-doped ZnFe2O4 ferrites were investigated using VSM. The negative charge on the Zn0.4Co0.6Fe2O4 surface was explored using PZC. Adsorption studies on synthesized materials were conducted with the help of an atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) plant created by our team. Moisture adsorption isotherms of synthesized materials were determined using a gravimetric method under varying temperature and relative humidity (45-95%) conditions. The moisture content (Mc) of Zn0.4Co0.6Fe2O4 and ZnFe2O4 was 597 mg g-1 and 104 mg g-1, respectively. Key thermodynamic properties, including isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst), change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG), and change in sorption entropy (ΔS), were evaluated. Qst was negative, which confirmed the sorption of water vapors on the material surface. ΔG and ΔS indicated that water-vapor adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic. A second-order kinetics study was carried out on synthesized materials, demonstrating their chemisorption behavior. The latter was due to the oxygen defects created by replacement of Co2+ and Fe3+ at tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Water vapors in the atmosphere became attached to the surface and deprotonation occurred, and the hydroxyl ions were formed. Water vapor attached to these hydroxyl ions. A second-order kinetics study was carried out to confirm the chemisorption behavior of synthesized materials.

Photocatalytic Oxidative Desulfurization of Thiophene by Exploiting a Mesoporous V2O5-ZnO Nanocomposite as an Effective Photocatalyst

Due to increasingly stringent environmental regulations imposed by governments throughout the world, the manufacture of low-sulfur fuels has received considerable assiduity in the petroleum industry. In this investigation, mesoporous V2O5-decorated two-dimensional ZnO nanocrystals were manufactured using a simple surfactant-assisted sol–gel method for thiophene photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization (TPOD) at ambient temperature applying visible illumination. When correlated to pure ZnO NCs, V2O5-added ZnO nanocomposites dramatically improved the photocatalytic desulfurization of thiophene, and the reaction was shown to follow the pseudo-first-order model. The photocatalytic effectiveness of the 3.0 wt.% V2O5-ZnO photocatalyst was the greatest among all the other samples, with a rate constant of 0.0166 min−1, which was 30.7 significantly greater than that of pure ZnO NCs (0.00054 min−1). Compared with ZnO NCs, and owing to their synergetic effects, substantial creation of hydroxyl radical levels, lesser light scattering action, quick transport of thiophene species to the active recenters, and efficient visible-light gathering, V2O5-ZnO nanocomposites were found to have enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. V2O5-ZnO nanocomposites demonstrated outstanding stability during TPOD. Using mesoporous V2O5-ZnO nanocomposites, the mechanism of the charge separation process was postulated.

Metallosilicates as an iron support to catalyze Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Metallosilicates are tunable molecular sieves that have been applied in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as supports and promoters of cobalt-based catalysts. Here, for the first time, we synthesize iron based catalysts over Ce, Zr, V, and Ti metallosilicates with an nonhydrolytic surfactant assisted sol–gel method adapted from literature. The catalysts were activated at 350 ∘C, 0.4 MPa for 4 h in syngas (H2:CO = 2). The reactor operated at 2 MPa and from 200 ∘C 350 ∘C for 90 h at a feed ratio (H2:CO = 2). The BET surface area of Fe/Zr/SiO2 was highest at (335 m2 g−1) followed by Fe/Ti/SiO2 at 228 m2g−1. Despite its low surface area, (54 m2 g − 1), Fe/Ce/SiO2 converted the most CO (68%)while the Fe/Ti/SiO2, converted the least of the CO at 7%. CO conversion increased with temperature for all catalysts. Product selectivity to C7+ (corresponding to the α = 0.72) exceeded 60% for all catalysts and was highest at 250∘. The C2+ selectivity follows the order V (18%) < Ti (20%) < Zr (52%) < Ce (68%). The catalyst activity was stable up to 120 h on stream.

Post-synthesis plasma processing and activation of TiO2 photocatalyst for the removal of synthetic dyes from industrial wastewater

In this study, TiO2 nanopowders were prepared by combining the surfactant assisted sol–gel method with microwave plasma calcination. Plasma calcination was performed just for 20–30 min for reducing the calcination time and ensuring the energy efficient synthesis of photocatalyst. The mixed anatase–rutile phased TiO2 nanoparticles were obtained under these synthesis conditions. The band gap energy of the photocatalyst decreased by 40% on microwave plasma calcination. The surfactants were found to be ineffective on phase transformations of synthesized TiO2. FTIR analysis confirmed the absorption of O–Ti–O band stretching between 415 and 420 cm−1. The hydroxyl bands (OH) were observed to be less stretched after plasma calcination. The conventionally calcined HA–Ti, NA–Ti and MS–Ti samples showed band gap energies of 5.09 eV, 4.88 eV and 5.06 eV, respectively. The band gap energy of plasma calcined MTHA–Ti, MTNNA–Ti and MTMS–Ti samples was calculated about 4.92 eV, 3.11 eV and 4.96 eV, respectively. The combined effect of photocatalyst, plasma reactive species and UV radiations promoted the degradation efficiency of the methylene blue dye. Under DC plasma jet exposure, the maximum degradation efficiency of 95% was achieved after 30 min of plasma exposure time. The catalyst retained about 93–95% degradation efficiency after five cycles of dye degradation.

Biodiesel production via stearic acid esterification over mesoporous ZrO2/SiO2 catalysts synthesized by surfactant-assisted sol-gel auto-combustion route

Abstract Biodiesel production from the esterification of stearic acid with ethanol catalyzed by the mesoporous ZrO2/SiO2 catalysts which successfully synthesized by surfactant-assisted sol-gel auto-combustion method. These catalysts were characterized by various physico-chemical techniques such as XRD, BET surface area measurement, HR-TEM and NH3-TPD. The mesoporous catalyst prepared with cationic surfactant (ZrSiOC) showed a maximum BET surface area and pore volume. Interestingly, the ZrSiOC catalyst exhibited the largest acidity value among all catalysts. The results showed that the mesoporous ZrO2/SiO2 catalysts prepared with cationic (ZrSiOC) and non-ionic (ZrSiOT) surfactants demonstrated higher stearic acid conversion than those with anionic (ZrSiOS) or without surfactant (ZrSiO). Significantly, the ZrSiOC and ZrSiOT catalysts exhibited the highest conversion of 69.2% and 63.1% at 120 °C after 3 h, respectively. Additionally, it was observed that the conversion increased extremely with increasing the reaction temperature giving a maximum conversion of 76.9% at 125 °C by using the most active catalyst (ZrSiOC). Interestingly, the ZrSiOC catalyst displays suitable recycling as it kept performance of 72.5% after five recycle runs without significant lack in performance. Moreover, the kinetic study confirmed that esterification follows pseudo first-order equation.

Preparation of melanoidin/TiO2 composites with improved UV screening ability and suppressed photocatalytic activity for cosmetic application

Hybridization of TiO2, which efficiently blocks UVB, with melanoidin, which blocks UVA, was performed. TiO2 microspheres were prepared using surfactant assisted sol–gel method and carboxylation on TiO2 surface was proceeded to introduce chemical binder. Then, dihydroxyacetone was grafted onto the surface of TiO2 by esterification to prepare the melanoidin/TiO2 composites through the Maillard reaction between dihydroxyacetone and Arginine. The melanoidin/TiO2 composites showed not only suppressed photocatalytic activity but also provided the broad UV absorption range from 280 to 400nm. Furthermore, hybrid composites can reduce white cast phenomena of TiO2, suggesting more promising application of TiO2 in cosmetics.

Low temperature facile synthesis of pseudowollastonite nanoparticles by the surfactant-assisted sol-gel method

With a convenient surfactant-assisted sol-gel technique, we can assert that single-phase Pseudowollastonite (PWS) nanoparticles are synthesized at low temperature for the first time. Synthesized powders have been characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Effect of calcination temperature on crystallite size and lattice strain is studied from XRD data. Results indicate that single-phase PWS nanoparticles were successfully synthesized at 775 °C by the surfactant-assisted sol-gel method and increasing calcination temperature causes the rise of crystallite size and lattice strain.

The effects of surfactant in the sol–gel synthesis of CuO/TiO2 nanocomposites on its photocatalytic activities under UV-visible and visible light illuminations

Effective and low-cost CuO/TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared at room temperature by a surfactant-assisted sol–gel method for photocatalytic activities under UV-visible and visible light irradiations.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2-CaO and TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 Photocatalyst for Removal of Catechol

TiO2-CaO and TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 photocatalysts have been synthesized through the surfactant-assisted sol-gel method. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM-ED Sand BET surface area. XRD pattern showed the formation of anatase TiO2 crystal phase both in TiO2-CaO and TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3. The TiO2-CaO has higher crystallinity than TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3. Based on the peak refinement using Rietveld, there are two peaks identified as Fe2O3 hematite in the sample TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3. BET surface area analysis showed that the average pore size of TiO2-CaO and TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 catalysts are 8.04 and 8.41 nm respectively, indicating both catalysts are mesoporous.FTIR spectra show that the vibration of Ti-O, Ca-O, and Ca-TiO2 were observed in both catalysts. SEM images confirm that both catalysts are porous material. The catechol removal using TiO2-CaO and TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 improved with the increase of catalyst concentration. After 360 minutes of UV radiation, the removal of catechol using TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 reached 46.0%, 48.3%, and 69.2%, while when using TiO2-CaO, it reached 22.1%, 36.8%, and 57.0% for 0.1 g, 0.15 g, and 0.2 g of catalysts, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 is not so strong compared to TiO2-CaO catalyst but the catechol adsorption property of TiO2-CaO-Fe2O3 is higher than that of TiO2-CaO catalyst.

Mesoporous tin oxide-supported phosphomolybdic acid as high performance acid catalysts for the synthesis of hydroquinone diacetate

Mesoporous SnO2 nanoparticles were prepared via surfactant-assisted sol-gel method and then modified with different amount (3–65) wt.% of phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) using the impregnation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by thermal analysis (TGA and DTA), XRD, TEM, FTIR and N2 adsorption-desorption at −196 °C (BET and BJH). 25 %PMA/SnO2 nanoparticles were calcined at 400°, 450°, 550o, and 650 °C to study the effect of calcination temperature on the structural properties, surface acidity, catalytic activity and Keggin structure of the PMA. The surface acidity was measured by potentiometric titration and FTIR spectra of chemisorbed pyridine. It is observed that the crystallite size decreased with increasing the PMA content and increased with increasing the calcination temperature while the surface area (SBET) increased with increasing PMA loading to reach a maximum at 25 wt%. The surface acidity enhanced after addition of PMA and the catalysts shown both Brönsted and Lewis acid sites. The catalytic activity was tested by synthesis of hydroquinone diacetate. The sample with 55 wt.% PMA showed the highest acidity and catalytic activity.

Tailoring the surface area and the acid\u2013base properties of ZrO2 for biodiesel production from Nannochloropsis sp.

Bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts have a great potential to overcome the shortcomings of homogeneous and enzymatic catalysts and simplify the biodiesel production processes using low-grade, high-free-fatty-acid feedstock. In this study, we developed ZrO2-based bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts for simultaneous esterification and transesterification of microalgae to biodiesel. To avoid the disadvantage of the low surface area of ZrO2, the catalysts were prepared via a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method, followed by hydrothermal treatments. The response surface methodology central composite design was employed to investigate various factors, like the surfactant/Zr molar ratio, pH, aging time, and temperature on the ZrO2 surface area. The data were statistically analyzed to predict the optimal combination of factors, and further experiments were conducted for verification. Bi2O3 was supported on ZrO2 via the incipient wetness impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by a variety of techniques, which disclosed that the surfactant-assisted ZrO2 nanoparticles possess higher surface area, better acid–base properties, and well-formed pore structures than bare ZrO2. The highest yield of fatty acid methyl esters (73.21%) was achieved using Bi2O3/ZrO2(CTAB), and the catalytic activity of the developed catalysts was linearly correlated with the total densities of the acidic and basic sites. The mechanism of the simultaneous reactions was also discussed.

Photocatalytic performance of mesoporous composites of TiO2–ZrO2 and phosphotungstic acid

Herein, the mesoporous composite materials, mTiO2–ZrO2/PTAy-x (PTA = phosphotungstic acid, x represents the molar ratio of Ti to Zr, y represents the weight percent of PTA in mTiO2–ZrO2/PTA samples), have been prepared by the surfactant-assisted sol–gel method combined with a subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The as-prepared catalysts were fully characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, DRS, PLs and nitrogen adsorption–desorption techniques. The results indicated that mTiO2–ZrO2 sample with the TiO2 and ZrO2 molar ratio of 3 exhibits good crystallinity, large internal surface areas and narrow-sized pores. The PTA clusters incorporated in mTiO2–ZrO2 frameworks preserve intact Keggin structure according to EDX, FT-IR and diffuse reflectance UV/vis/NIR spectroscopy. The band gap energy of as-prepared composites is reduced compared with single components. The PL experiments revealed that the obtained mTiO2–ZrO2 can strongly retard the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes compared with a single oxide, and the introduction of PTA species can further improve the light adsorption and the photochemical stability, therefore efficiently promoting photocatalytic activity of the ternary composite materials. Photocatalytic experiments confirmed that mTiO2–ZrO2/PTA10-3 displayed highly efficient and durable activity for the photodegradation of methyl orange under simulated sunlight and photoreduction of Cr(VI) under visible light. The study of the photocatalytic mechanism revealed that superoxide radicals (∙O2−) and holes (h+) are the main active species. These materials are very stable in the photocatalytic reactions, and therefore, they are promising and efficient catalysts for practical applications.

Influence of the specific surface area and silver crystallite size of mesoporous Ag/SrTiO3 on the selectivity enhancement of ethylene oxide production

ABSTRACTBackgroundEthylene oxide, which is industrially produced by ethylene epoxidation, is an important versatile chemical intermediate, thus its selectivity enhancement can bring substantial economic profits. In this work, the effects of two important, but still debatable, factors, i.e. catalyst specific surface area and active phase crystallite size, on the catalyst selectivity enhancement were investigated. Surfactant assisted sol–gel method with good control ability on the pores structure was selected to produce mesoporous strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanocrystals with various specific surface area. The SrTiO3 nanocrystals were used as the supports of silver (Ag) for ethylene epoxidation.ResultsThe Ag/SrTiO3 catalysts with various surface areas were obtained by changing the surfactant‐alkoxide ratio and the calcination time. The ethylene oxide selectivity of the prepared catalysts was examined in a laboratory‐scale fixed bed reactor. The best performance was observed at the lowest surfactant–alkoxide ratio of 0.2 and calcination time of 4 h, with the surface area of 1.7 m2/g and Ag crystallite size of 15 nm.ConclusionThe best catalyst selectivity was observed at the lowest surface area and the highest average Ag crystallite size. In this condition, the selectivity of the Ag/SrTiO3 catalyst without any modifier was superior to a commercial Ag/Al2O3 catalyst with 3.7m2/g surface area and alkaline earth metal modifiers. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

High photocatalytic activity of light-driven Fe2TiO5 nanoheterostructure toward degradation of antibiotic metronidazole

Monodispersed Fe2TiO5 nanoheterostructure was prepared via simple surfactant-assisted sol–gel method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). After quantitative and qualitative analysis of nanostructures, simulated light-driven performance of Fe2TiO5 thin film as heterogeneous photocatalyst toward photodegradation of antibiotic metronidazole was investigated and compared with its forming metal oxides. Results showed the highest photocatalytic activity for Fe2TiO5 after 2h of irradiation by which the pseudo first-order photodegradation reaction of metronidazole leads to water and carbon dioxide production. Increase the photocatalysis efficiency based on Fe2TiO5 photocatalyst relative to TiO2 and Fe2O3 is due to lower mean size, more uniform distribution of nanoparticles and consequently an increase in the surface area available for the photocatalytic reaction, also the two metal centers arrangement in one structure that were resulted in effective light harvesting and enhancing the probability of reduction–oxidation reactions owing to fast transferring of charge carriers to surface with promoting separation and limiting recombination.

Preparation and characterization of SnO2 doped TiO2 nanoparticles: Effect of phase changes on the photocatalytic and catalytic activity

Abstract The effects of phase changes on the photocatalytic and catalytic activities of SnO2/TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method were investigated. The as-prepared SnO2/TiO2 was calcined at 400°, 500°, 600°, and 700 °C. The prepared samples were studied by XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR, BET, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results showed that the crystallite size and anatase-to-rutile phase transformation increased greatly with increasing the calcination temperature. The transformation of anatase to rutile phase was found to be between 400° and 600 °C, and then the anatase completely transformed to rutile phase at 700 °C. Also, the specific surface area and pore volume decreased, whereas the mean pore size increased with increasing the calcination temperature. The effect of calcination temperature on the catalytic activity of the samples was tested by different applications: photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes and phenol and synthesis of xanthene (14-phenyl-14H-dibenzo [a,j]xanthene). The mineralization of MB and RhB has been confirmed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. The SnO2/TiO2 nanoparticles calcined at 500 °C are found to exhibit the highest photocatalytic and catalytic activities.

Surface acidity, catalytic and photocatalytic activities of new type H3PW12O40/Sn-TiO2 nanoparticles

TiO2 and Sn+4 doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared via the surfactant-assisted sol-gel method. Then, H3PW12O40 (PTA) was loaded over Sn-TiO2 nanoparticles with different PTA contents by wet impregnation method. The samples have been characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR, UV–vis diffuse reflection (DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The surface acidity was studied by potentiometric titration and the pyridine was used as probe molecules to distinguish between Brönsted and Lewis acid sites. XRD patterns analysis indicates that the crystallite size reduced remarkably with increasing PTA loading. TEM and SEM images exhibit irregular particles shape and the amount of PTA on the Sn-TiO2 surface increased with increasing PTA loading up to 60% wt. The addition of PTA and Sn+4 improved the surface acidity and catalytic activity of TiO2. Moreover, the addition of Sn+4 promoted the electrons transfer between PTA and TiO2 and reduced the recombination of electrons (e–) and holes (h+). The catalytic activity was tested by synthesis of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl coumarin and 14-phenyl-14H-dibenzo [a,j] xanthene. Both the acidity and catalytic activity increased sharply after modification Sn-TiO2 by PTA and the sample with 50 wt.% PTA showed the highest acidity and catalytic activity. Also, the photocatalytic performance of PTA/Sn-TiO2 was confirmed in the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV–vis irradiations. The mineralization of MB and RhB were confirmed by Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). The results indicate that 20% PTA/Sn-TiO2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity.

Overview on the use of surfactants for the preparation of porous carbon materials by the sol-gel method: applications in energy systems

Abstract Porous carbon materials attract great interest because of the wide range of applications in electrochemical energy systems, especially in the case of structured and porosity-tuned carbons prepared by template-assisted methods. The use of surfactant prevents the collapse of the porous structure during the air-drying stage in the sol-gel process, which is regarded as a critical stage in this method. This work offers an overview on the use of surfactants as templates for the manufacture of tunable porous carbon materials by the sol-gel method mainly using the polymerization reaction of resorcinol (R) and formaldehyde (F). The use of surfactants avoids the application of other economically disadvantaged drying techniques such as supercritical fluids and freeze-drying. The surfactant-assisted sol-gel methods reported in the literature for the fabrication of porous carbons are widely discussed, as well as the potentiality of the synthesized materials as electrodes in electrochemical systems, which greatly depends on the final porous structure. Besides, this work offers information on hybrid methods in which surfactants are used not only for the fabrication of porous carbon materials with mesoporous/microporous structure but also for the development of advanced structures and composites, including nanomaterials with enhanced properties. Finally, future prospects in the synthesis of carbon materials prepared by surfactant-assisted sol-gel method are presented.

Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO₂/Boron-Doped Diamond Photocatalyst and Its Photocatalytic Activity under Deep UV Light (λ = 222 nm) Irradiation.

There is a need for highly efficient photocatalysts, particularly for water purification. In this study, we fabricated a mesoporous TiO2 thin film on a boron-doped diamond (BDD) layer by a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method, in which self-assembled amphiphilic surfactant micelles were used as an organic template. Scanning electron microscopy revealed uniform mesopores, approximately 20 nm in diameter, that were hexagonally packed in the TiO2 thin film. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy clarified that the framework crystallized in the anatase phase. Current–voltage (I–V) measurements showed rectification features at the TiO2/BDD heterojunction, confirming that a p–n hetero-interface formed. The as-synthesized mesoporous TiO2/BDD worked well as a photocatalyst, even with a small volume of TiO2 (15 mm × 15 mm × c.a. 1.5 µm in thickness). The use of deep UV light (λ = 222 nm) as a light source was necessary to enhance photocatalytic activity, due to photo-excitation occurring in both BDD and TiO2.

Surfactant-assisted sol–gel synthesis and characterization of hierarchical nanoporous merwinite with controllable drug release

The aim of this research is to suggest both new and efficient synthesis method for preparation of pure phase nanoporous merwinite ((Ca3Mg(SiO4)2), NM) bioceramics and assess their in vitro drug delivery potential. Surfactant-assisted sol–gel method is used to produce NM using cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) as a surfactant agent. The XRD results showed that a single-phase merwinite is obtained after calcination at 850 °C. Both the FESEM and N2 adsorption desorption results exhibited that the samples have hierarchical porous structure ranging from 25 nm to 3.5 μm. Potential application of the synthesized calcium-magnesium-silicate samples as a drug delivery agent is studied by estimating their ibuprofen release properties up to 180 h. This study revealed that NM is produced by surfactant-assisted sol–gel method at lower calcination temperature compared to other studies and the synthesized samples can be used as a promising local drug delivery system.