Recent advances in functionalization of mesoporous silica

Mesoporous silica with regular geometries have been recently paid much attention owing to their scientific importance and great potentials in practical applications such as catalysis, adsorption, separation, sensing, medical usage, ecology, and nanotechnology. Especially, applications often require immobilization of the related functional groups in the mesopores. In order to achieve desire applications, modification of these mesoporous silica are indispensable. In this review, recent progresses of functionalization of mesoporous silica are comprehensively summarized. In the first parts, advances in three major methods, grafting (post-synthetic modification), co-condensation (direct synthesis), and techniques related with periodic mesoporous organosilicates, are explained. In the latter parts, new concepts for functionalization of mesoporous silica including functional template method and lizard template method are introduced. Most of the examples described here have been published in a new millennium.