Issue 32, 2013

A flexible, bolaamphiphilic template for mesoporous silicas

Abstract

A novel symmetrical bolaamphiphile, containing two N-methylimidazolium head-groups bridged by a 32-methylene linker, was synthesized and characterized. A variety of mesoporous silicas was prepared using the bolaamphiphile as a “soft template”. The effects of absolute surfactant concentration and synthesis conditions upon the morphologies of these silicas were investigated. For a given surfactant concentration, particle morphology; pore size; and pore ordering were modified through control of the template to silica-precursor ratio and synthesis conditions. Observed morphologies included: lenticular core–shell nanoparticles and decorticated globules, truncated hexagonal plates, and sheets. In all cases the mesopores are aligned along the shortest axis of the nanomaterial. Decorticated materials displayed surface areas of up to 1200 m2 g−1 and pore diameters (DBJH) of 24–28 Å. Small-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed that the majority of the materials has elliptical pores arranged in rectangular lattices (c2mm). Adoption of this symmetry group is a result of the template aggregate deformation from a regular hexagonal phase of cylindrical rods to a ribbon phase under the synthetic conditions.

Graphical abstract: A flexible, bolaamphiphilic template for mesoporous silicas

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Apr 2013
Accepted
10 Jun 2013
First published
11 Jun 2013

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013,15, 13343-13353

A flexible, bolaamphiphilic template for mesoporous silicas

A. K. L. Yuen, F. Heinroth, A. J. Ward, A. F. Masters and T. Maschmeyer, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 13343 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP51546J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements