Uniform Mesoporous Channels Research Articles

Tricomponent direct co-assembly to nitrogen-doped, ordered mesoporous carbon@silica frameworks with enhanced nitrogen stability and multi-functionalities

Ordered mesoporous carbon@silica hybrid frameworks with high nitrogen content and good stabilities show great significance to improve their functionalities. Herein, we report novel nitrogen-doped (3.51 ∼ 4.62 wt%) and ordered mesoporous carbon@silica frameworks (N-OMC@SiO2) with reinforced nitrogen stability. The N-OMC@SiO2 were designed from tricomponent direct co-assembly between block copolymer template and mixed precursors containing urea and tetramethoxysilane without using additional solvent. The N-OMC@SiO2 have large BET surface areas (444.3 ∼ 674.9 m2/g), uniform mesoporous channels (5.8 ∼ 10.9 nm) with well-defined hexagonal symmetry, and stable carbon@silica “reinforced concrete” framework that can be transformed into carbon@silicon by controllable reduction. The nitrogen sites were firmly embedded into their frameworks via the formation of Si-N bonding. Thus, the resulted N-OMC@SiO2 exhibit multi-functionalities and enhanced recyclability in acid waste gas capture and gaseous sulfides catalytic utilization, better than many reported porous adsorbents and catalysts. This study may help develop stable and efficient N-OMCs nanocomposites for acidic gas selective removal.

Silica nanochannels boosting Ru(bpy)3 2+-mediated electrochemical sensor for the detection of guanine in beer and pharmaceutical samples.

Vertically ordered mesoporous silica film (VMSF) with uniform mesoporous channels perpendicular to electrode substrate has a wide range of applications in direct electroanalysis of complex samples. However, the detection of nucleic acid bases is difficult to realize at the commonly used VMSF-modified indium tin oxide (VMSF/ITO) electrode due to the high overpotentials of underlying ITO for many small organic molecules. In this work, we demonstrated an electrochemical method for the sensitive detection of guanine (G) by integration of VMSF/ITO and tris(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium (II) [Ru(bpy)32+] redox mediator. Ru(bpy)32+ electrostatically accumulated by VMSF is able to act as an electron shuttle between G and underlying ITO surface, showing electrocatalytic oxidation of G and enabling the quantitative determination of G with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.058 μM and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.2 μM. Electrochemical detection performance for G could be regulated by changing the pH of the supporting electrolyte and the content of Ru(bpy)32+, achieving a wide dynamic linear range from 0.2 to 10 μM (R2 = 0.999), 2 to 100 μM (R2 = 0.999), and 10 to 500 μM (R2 = 0.998). Furthermore, owing to the good anti-fouling and anti-interference ability of VMSF, this simply sensing strategy can be applied to the direct and rapid detection of G in beer samples, and the detection of ganciclovir (G analog) content in ganciclovir eye drops.

Fabrication of mesoporous MOF nanosheets via surfactant-template method for C–S coupling reactions

Abstract Pore size enlargement plays a vital role in the catalytic applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). There is still a big challenge in achieving two-dimension (2D) ultrathin MOF nanosheets with controllable meso-pores, although it has huge demanding. In this work, various kinds of mesoporous MOF nanosheets with uniform meso-pore channels and crystallized microporous frameworks were constructed using surfactants (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB) as sacrificial templates. CTAB was firstly introduced into MOF nanosheet structure during the formation of MOF nanosheets, and mesopores could be produced by removing CTAB from MOF nanosheets. Remarkably, the integration of ultrathin nanosheets and mesoporous property enables mesoporous CuBDC nanosheets enhanced catalytic activity for C–S cross-coupling reaction, providing a new concept and feasible strategy for highly efficient mesoporous MOF catalyst synthesis.

SBA-16 Cage-Like Porous Material Modified with APTES as an Adsorbent for Pb2+ Ions Removal from Aqueous Solution.

Tridimensional cubic mesoporous silica, SBA-16, functionalized with aminopropyl groups, were employed as adsorbents for Pb2+ ion removal from aqueous solution. The adsorption capacity was investigated for the effect of pH, contact time, temperature, and concentration of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) employed for adsorbent functionalization. The textural properties and morphology of the adsorbents were evaluated by N2 physisorption, small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The functionalization of the SBA-16 was evaluated by elemental analysis (N), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Batch adsorption studies show that the total Pb2+ ions removal was archived on adsorbent having an optimized amount of aminopropyl groups (2N-SBA-16). The maximum of Pb2+ ions removal occurred at optimized adsorption conditions: pH = 5–6, contact time 40 min, and at a low initial lead concentration in solution (200 mg L−1). Under the same adsorption conditions, the amino-functionalized SBA-16 with cubic 3D unit cell structure exhibited higher adsorption capability than its SBA-15 counterpart with uniform mesoporous channels.

Ce-Co interaction effects on the catalytic performance of uniform mesoporous Cex-Coy catalysts in Hg0 oxidation process

Ce1-Co3 catalyst prepared by template method has been proved to have a good Hg0 removal efficiency due to its large surface area and plenty of surface active sites. However, the strong interaction between Ce and Co has a significant influence on physicochemical property and Hg0 removal efficiency, and the interaction mechanism has not been thoroughly explained to date. To understand the interaction mechanism of Ce and Co, Ce-Co catalysts with different Ce/Co molar ratios were prepared by the template method. N2 adsorption, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, XPS and H2-TPR were used to investigate physicochemical properties of the catalysts. Catalysts with very different molar amounts of Ce and Co (like Ce1-Co6 and Ce6-Co1) had more lattice defects resulting in more surface active sites. But they had non-uniform mesoporous channels and a low BET surface area leading to a large mass transfer resistance. In contrast, similar molar amount of Ce and Co leaded to uniform mesoporous channels and a much larger BET surface area, but less surface active sites (like Ce1-Co1). Furthermore, high Ce concentration leaded to a high crystallinity of CeO2, a low specific surface area and a non-uniform pore structure due to the sintering of CeO2. And more Co introduction enhanced the redox properties at low temperature. For these reasons, Ce1-Co3 had the best Hg0 oxidation efficiency and the widest temperature window, which was more than 90% in the temperature range of 150–400 °C.

Nanosize Fex Oy @SBA-3: A Comparative Study Between Conventional and Microwave Assisted Synthesis.

The present study is focussed on development of highly dispersed nanosize iron oxide (FexOy) particles within the uniform mesopore channels of SBA-3. Herein we report a comparative study between conventional incipient wetness and microwave assisted synthesis routes adopted to devise nanoparticles. The developed materials are characterised by following X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, proton induced X-ray emission, diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mesoporous siliceous SBA-3 was prepared at room temperature to obtain samples with good crystallinity and ordered pore structure. Pore channels of SBA-3 were used as nanoreactor for developing iron oxide nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles developed under microwave activation showed uniform distribution within the SBA-3 structure along with retaining the orderness of the pore architecture. On the contrary, iron oxides developed under incipient wetness method followed by conventional heating resulted in agglomeration of nanoparticles along with significant loss in SBA-3 pore structure. Proton induced X-ray emission studies revealed the extremely high purity of the samples and almost thrice higher amount of iron oxide particles are encapsulated within the host by microwave assisted preparation as compared to incipient/conventional heating method.

Molecular imprinted chitosan-TiO2 nanocomposite for the selective removal of Rose Bengal from wastewater

A new molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) chitosan-TiO2 nanocomposite (CTNC) was prepared for the selective and quantitative removal of Rose Bengal dye from industrial wastewater. The physicochemical features of the prepared CTNC-MIP nanoparticles were thoroughly investigated. The prepared MIP nanoparticles exhibited high surface area (95.38m2/g) with relatively uniform mesoporous channels that allowed an exceptional uptake of the dye (qm=79.365mg/g) and reflected the high selectivity of the prepared MIP compared to pure chitosan. The dye uptake was investigated using Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin Radushkevich and Temkin models. The kinetics of removal was explored by pseudo-first, pseudo second order, Elovich and Weber-Morris models. The Experimental data fitted well into pseudo-second order model, and much well with the Langmuir isotherm confirming the formation of monolayer of dye molecules. The enthalpy of adsorption was (62.279kJmol−1) showing strong interaction of MIP with the dye. The prepared MIP exhibited a good recyclability and stability.

An efficient carbon catalyst supports with mesoporous graphene-like morphology

In this work, we report the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon sheets (OMCS) with graphene-like morphology and their applications as the support for electrocatalysts. This lamellar material exhibits uniform mesoporous channels and ease of modification by using different nitrogen sources, such as melamine, urea, and ammonia. Nitrogen-doping on this material leads to a high specific surface area of 761 m2 g−1 and uniform pores with a diameter of 9 nm. Electrochemical tests show that the N-doped OMCS possesses high catalytic activities on the oxygen reduction reaction, which can be attributed to the pyridinic-type and pyrrolic-type nitrogen activating nearby carbon atoms. In addition, we demonstrate that the unique physical structure and surface chemical properties of OMCS improve the dispersion and structure of supported metal Ru nanoparticles, which lead to enhance oxygen evolution reaction activity.

Selective oxidation of glycerol in base-free conditions over N-doped carbon film coated carbon supported Pt catalysts

A series of N-doped carbon film coated active carbon (NxC-XC-72) was prepared via direct pyrolysis of mixed XC-72 (a commercial activated carbon), polyvinyl pyrrolidone and urea. Characterizations indicated that the specific area of synthesized N2.5C-XC-72 reached 281m2/g and uniform meso pore channels (sized in 4.0nm) formed. It was found that NxC-XC-72 was an excellent support for the evenly dispersion of Pt compared with raw XC-72. Pt/NxC-XC-72 was active and stable for the selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid in a base-free aqueous solution. The calculated turnover frequency on the basis of surface Pt increased from 573 (in Pt/XC-72) to 706h−1 (in Pt/N2.5C-XC-72) at 60°C.

Ce-Co catalyst with high surface area and uniform mesoporous channels prepared by template method for Hg0 oxidation

Ce-Co catalyst was prepared by template method (denoted as Ce-Co-T) and co-precipitation method (denoted as Ce-Co-C) for element mercury oxidation. Structural results showed that Ce-Co-T had a much larger BET surface area (220.01m2/g) and uniform mesoporous channels along with uniform particle size which could lead to more surface active sites. XPS showed that Ce-Co-T had more surface active oxygen species resulting in a better redox property. Compared with Ce-Co-C, Ce-Co-T had a much better Hg0 oxidation efficiency which maintained above 95% under a high GHSV (180, 000h−1) in the range 150–350°C.

Copper-containing mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles as multifunctional agent for bone regeneration.

In order to endow mesoporous bioactive glass, characterized by excellent bioactive properties, with additional biological functions, Cu-doped mesoporous SiO2-CaO glass (Cu-MBG) in the form of nanoparticles was prepared by an ultra-sound assisted one pot synthesis. The analysis of the bacterial viability, using different bacterial strains, and the morphological observation of the biofilm produced by the Staphylococcus epidermidis, revealed the antimicrobial effectiveness of the Cu-MBG and the relative ionic extracts against both the bacterial growth and the biofilm formation/dispersion, providing a true alternative to traditional antibiotic systemic therapies. The proposed multifunctional agent represents a promising and versatile platform for bone and soft tissues regeneration.

Facilely fabricating Mg, Ca modified Co based ordered mesoporous catalysts for CO2 reforming of CH4: The effects of basic modifiers

Co based catalysts have been widely investigated as the catalysts for carbon dioxide reforming of methane (CRM) reaction due to outstanding coke-resistant capacity. Herein, a series of Co based ordered mesoporous materials incorporated with Mg and Ca basic modifiers had been designed and fabricated by facile evaporation induced self-assembly (EISA) strategy. The obtained materials were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2 temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and CO2 temperature programmed desorption (CO2-TPD). The characterization results demonstrated that these materials calcined at 700 °C possessed relatively large surface areas (130.0–150.0 m2/g), big pore volume (0.30 cm3/g), narrow pore size distribution (9.5–11.0 nm), and uniform mesoporous channels. Due to these good textural properties and unobstructed mesoporous channels, these materials could accommodate the gaseous reactants with sufficiently accessible Co active sites, thus showing high catalytic activity toward CRM reaction. Besides, the Co active centers were in situ incorporated into and stabilized by the mesoporous framework. Therefore, the thermal agglomeration of the metallic Co nanoparticles during the CRM reaction could be effectively suppressed, displaying excellent catalytic stability. For the Mg and Ca basic modifiers, their incorporation greatly strengthened the surface basicity and intensified the chemisorption of CO2, which would be helpful in accelerating the surface coke elimination process. Therefore, these Co based ordered mesoporous materials incorporated with Mg and Ca basic modifiers could be considered as potential catalysts for CRM reaction.

Preparation and gas separation performance of supported carbon membranes with ordered mesoporous carbon interlayer

An ordered mesoporous precursor synthesized by the soft-templating approach has successfully been used to prepare a carbon interlayer between the thin separation layer and the support of carbon membranes. Morphology and pore structure characteristics of the ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) interlayer were investigated by HRTEM, XRD, SEM and N2 adsorption techniques. Gas separation properties of resultant supported carbon membranes were evaluated by single gas permeation experiments. The results showed that the OMC interlayer can effectively reduce surface defects of the support with large pore sizes, improve the interfacial adhesion of the support to the thin separation layer, and further enhance the gas permeation properties of the supported carbon membranes by ordered and uniform mesoporous channels. The supported carbon membranes were synthesized by one-step coating on the support modified by the OMC interlayer and achieved O2, CO2 and H2 permeances of 74.5, 88.0 and 545.5molm−2s−1Pa−1×10−10, respectively. These are about 4 times higher than those without the interlayer and are very competitive with respect to other carbon membranes reported in literature. The results clearly indicate that this novel approach using the OMC as an interlayer to fabricate supported carbon membranes with macro–meso–microporous gradient structure have attractive potential for gas separation.

Protein Refolding Assisted by Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas

Herein we report a new strategy for protein refolding by taking advantage of the unique surface and pore characteristics of ethylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO), which can effectively entrap unfolded proteins and assist refolding by controlled release into the refolding buffer. Hen egg white lysozyme was used as a model protein to demonstrate the new method of protein refolding. Through loading of denatured proteins inside uniform mesoporous channels tailored to accommodate individual protein, protein aggregation was minimized, and the folding rate was increased. Poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG)-triggered continuous release of entrapped denatured lysozyme allowed high-yield refolding with high cumulative protein concentrations. The new method enhances the oxidative refolding of lysozyme (e.g., over 80% refolding yield at about 0.6 mg/mL).

Synthesis and characterisation of hybrid mesoporous materials with the 1,4-diazobutadiene ligand

Novel mesoporous MCM-41 type hybrid materials were synthesised by co-condensation of a “flexible” ligand derived from 1,4-diazobutadiene ( 1) and tetraethyl orthosilicate in three different ratios (0.027, 0.05, and 0.20) and in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as templating agent. Surfactant extraction under mild conditions produced hybrid mesoporous materials with uniform mesoporous scale channels, large pore volumes, and high specific surface areas. These mesoporous organosilicas were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas adsorption, 13C and 29Si solid state NMR and thermogravimetric analysis. Results from DFT calculations were used for discussing NMR and IR experimental data. The organosilica materials with lower content of organic molecules present uniform 2D-hexagonal mesoporous arrays with pore diameter ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 nm and a surface area ranging from 693 to 803 m 2/g. The introduction of a larger amount, such as 20%, of organic building block seems to decrease the order of the material and reduce the space available within the pore.

“Fish‐in‐Net” Encapsulation of Enzymes in Macroporous Cages for Stable, Reusable, and Active Heterogeneous Biocatalysts

There is currently great interest in enzyme immobilization to enhance enzyme stability and reusability, and to aid in separation from the reaction mixture, [1–17] but immobilized enzymes on commonly used inorganic and organic solid supports show low activities. This is a result of the leaching of the enzymes from the solid supports and the limited conformational transitions available to the enzymes for chemical interaction on the supports. [1–4] Enzymes encapsulated by a sol–gel/polymer [3–10] show good activity, but the wide pore-size distribution in sol–gel/polymers cannot be well controlled, and this adversely influences the diffusion of reactants and products during biocatalysis to the detriment of their practical application. [3,4,16] Recently, a number of successful examples of good enzyme activity resulting from enzyme immobilization in uniform mesopores of ordered mesostructured materials have been reported. [14–17] However, enzyme immobilization in mesopores is limited by the pore size of the mesostructured materials, so that bulky enzymes or enzyme aggregates larger than the mesopores cannot be immobilized. A general and facile approach for the encapsulation of enzymes of various sizes in ordered mesoporous silica is reported here, where the enzymes are entrapped in macroporous cages connected by uniform mesoporous channels. These encapsulated enzymes show good activity, long-term stability, and excellent recycling characteristics. The concept of “fish-in-net” encapsulation of enzymes in ordered mesoporous silica under mild conditions is illustrated in Figure 1. Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was first assembled from a triblock ethylene oxide (EO)/propylene oxide (PO) copolymer surfactant ( EO20PO70EO20, P123) in ethanol. After evaporation of the ethanol and addition of glycerol, preformed precursors with ordered mesostructured silica particles were obtained in the glycerol solution, which is a non-denaturing solvent for enzymes. The preformed precursors were mixed with the enzyme solution under stirring at 4°C. During the interaction between the enzymes and the preformed precursors, active enzymes (acting as the “fish”) were gradually entrapped in the “net” formed by the polymerization and condensation of the ordered mesostructured silica particles. After removal of the glycerol and water by evacuation, the xerogels with encapsulated enzymes were washed with ethanol and water several times to remove polymer surfactants in the mesopores. In contrast to the “ship-in-a-bottle” technique, [18] the enzymes in this work were used as templates for the formation of the macroporous cages. The encapsulated enzymes in the mesoporous silica are typical nanoreactors, which combine the advantages of native enzymes with those of mesoporous channels. When water is introduced into the cages, the chemical environment of the enzymes in the cages is similar to that of native enzymes in aqueous solution. This is beneficial for protein rotation and conformational transitions, and provides for high biocatalytic activity. [3,16] Moreover, the or

Facile synthesis and characterization of ordered mesostructured nickel catalysts

Nickel precursors were added midway during the self-assembly of a block copolymer and a silica precursor, leading to the rapid and facile production (one-step) of highly ordered mesoporous nickel catalysts. Ni-MH and Ni-MS were prepared using HCl or H 2SO 4 as the acid source. Both Ni-MH and Ni-MS contain uniform mesopore channels with a periodic mesochannel alignment (space group, p6 mm). Ni-MS contained smaller nickel particles than Ni-MH, as evidenced by XRD and TEM analyses. TEM images clearly show that NiO in Ni-MH is deposited along the mesopore channel. Both the critical dependence of the temperature used in the synthesis of Ni-MH on nickel loading and the increase in nickel loading resulting from the use of SO 4 2− (Ni-MS) as a counteranion indirectly suggest that the self-assembly of mesostructured nickel catalysts mainly involves an electrostatic pathway and complexation between the polyethylene oxide (PEO) branch in P123 and Ni 2+. The routes for the self-assembly appear to largely involve electrostatic interactions in the case of Ni-MS and coordination by PEO in the case of Ni-MH. The morphologies of the Ni-MH and Ni-MS catalysts can be manipulated by varying the reaction temperature used, thus permitting the production of uniform rod-like forms or uniform spherical particles. As the reaction temperature is increased, both Ni-MH and Ni-MS appear to have a more curved shape in both meso and macroscopic views.

Characteristics of Gallium-Substituted Hexagonal Mesoporous Silica: Effects of Gallium Content

Gallium-substituted hexagonal mesoporous silicas (Ga-HMS) with various Si/Ga ratios in the range of 15 and 200 were prepared at ambient temperature by neutral surfanctant templating pathway. The materials were synthesized by using dodecylamine as a template and tetraethylorthosilicate as a silicon source. They were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy. Ga-HMS samples had high surface areas and uniform mesoporous channels, which are similar to MCM-41. However, they differed from MCM-41 in presenting only a single peak in XRD patterns. They also possessed other characters of larger framework wall thickness, small crystallite domain sizes, and complementary textural mesoporosities in comparison with M41S materials. Ga-HMS materials had micropores and the hysteresis loops were obvious. These small crystallite size and complementary textural mesoporosity provided better access of the framework-confined mesopores. These mesoporous Ga-HMS samples exhibited irregularly shaped mesoscale fundamental particles which aggregated into larger particles. They also demonstrated better thermal stability than MCM-41. The textural pore volumes of Ga-HMS specimens could be up to 20 times as large as the framework volumes. The surfactant could be removed completely by calcination at 650∘C. An absorption band of FT-IR at ca. 960 cm–1 was assigned to the vibration of Si–O–Ga linkages. These samples also showed an absorbance band at 255 nm and 250 nm in UV-vis spectra. The results show that gallium was incorporated into the structure of HMS. The efforts in preparing Ga-HMS specimens by neutral-template synthesis route had led to new mesoporous silica molecular sieves with catalytically active gallium centers.

Highly Selective Adsorption of Pt2+ and Pd2+ Using Thiol-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica

A noble metal ion (Pt2+ and Pd2+) adsorbent with uniform mesopore channels was prepared by grafting a thiol functional group, (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS), onto ordered mesoporous silica, SBA-15. Results show that the ordered mesostructure of SBA-15 was retained after modification and the thiol functional group was immobilized mainly inside the mesopore channel, as evidenced by Brunauer−Emmett−Teller surface area, small-angle X-ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared, and elemental analyses. The thiolated mesoporous silica exhibited a highly selectively adsorptive capability for noble metal ions such as Pd2+ and Pt2+, while the binding capability for other metal ions (Ni2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) both in the presence of equimolarity and at 10 times excess conditions was greatly decreased. These selective adsorptions of thiolated mesoporous adsorbent for noble metal ions (Pt2+ and Pd2+) were explained by thermodynamic calculation assuming that the selective adsorption occurred by a chemical adsor...

Monolithic Nanostructured Silicate Family Templated by Lyotropic Liquid-Crystalline Nonionic Surfactant Mesophases

A family of well-defined highly ordered mesoporous silica materials (designated as HOM) was synthesized by using a high concentration of nonionic amphiphile of Brij 56 surfactant (C18EO10) as a structure-directing species. Monolithic nanostructures with regular arrays and extended periodicity were produced under acidic conditions and different ambient temperatures (25−45 °C). Liquid-crystal phases formed in aqueous/silica domains played an important role in controlling the monolithic structural morphology. The direct templating method enhanced the phase topology of Brij 56 with three-dimensional (3-D) accessible mesoporous silica of primitive-centered cubic Pn3m (HOM-7), 3-D hexagonal P63/mmc (HOM-3), and solid phase (S) with cubic Ia3d space group (HOM-5) mesophases. By adjustment of the phase behavior of Brij 56/TMOS mass ratio, ca. 35, 50, 70, and 75 wt %, the method yielded predictable mesophase structures of cubic spherical micellar Im3m (HOM-1), 2-D hexagonal P6mm (HOM-2), bicontinuous cubic Ia3d (HOM-5), and lamellar L∞ (HOM-6), respectively. A significant result was that the long-range ordered silica monoliths remained unchanged throughout the fast condensation of TMOS and removal of Brij 56 surfactant. Furthermore, all of the silica monoliths (HOM-types) had high surface area, uniform mesopore channels, well-defined morphological architectures, and large wall thickness of materials. HOM mesoporous molecular sieves were characterized by using powder X-ray diffraction, the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller method for nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that this direct template methodology can be used to successfully synthesize periodic mesoporous silica monoliths with a high degree of control over the mesopore morphology and the surfactant mesophase structures.