A triblock-copolymer-templating route to carbon spheres@SBA-15 large mesopore core–shell and hollow structures

Abstract

The fabrication of mesoporous core–shell and hollow spheres with ordered mesostructures and tunable large pore sizes is highly desirable for fundamental research and practical applications. A direct triblock-copolymer-templating coating approach has been provided for the synthesis of carbon sphere@mesoporous silica core–shell (CS@SBA-15) and hollow structures in an acidic medium at room temperature. These CS@SBA-15 core–shell structures possess large mesopores (6.3–8.4 nm), high surface areas (318.1–438.4 m² g⁻¹) and large pore volumes (0.31–0.36 cm³ g⁻¹). The corresponding hollow mesoporous silica spheres (HMSS) with controllable mesopores (6.0–8.2 nm), high surface areas (239.9–326.5 m² g⁻¹) and pore volumes (0.37–0.62 cm³ g⁻¹) can be obtained after the removal of the carbon sphere cores through calcination at 700 °C in air. The current research results provide an effective methodology for the synthesis of other mesoporous silica core–shell structures with large pore sizes and multilayer core–shells, and even nanorattle structures.