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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
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Preparation of Functional Silica Using a Bioinspired Method
Published on: August 1, 2018
Morphological and structural evolution of mesoporous silicas in a mild buffer solution and lysozyme adsorption
Jian Liu1, Congming Li, Qihua Yang
1State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|May 15, 2007
Summary
Researchers synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles using 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) and P123 surfactant. These materials demonstrate high adsorption capacity and rapid lysozyme immobilization, especially hollow spheres with rugged surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Mesoporous silica materials are crucial for applications in catalysis, separation, and drug delivery.
- Controlling the morphology and structure of mesoporous silica is essential for optimizing their performance.
- Surfactants play a key role as structure-directing agents in silica synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize mesoporous silica with diverse morphologies and structures.
- To investigate the influence of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) and P123 surfactant ratios on silica structure.
- To evaluate the adsorption capacity and immobilization kinetics of lysozyme onto synthesized mesoporous silicas.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of mesoporous silicas using 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) and nonionic surfactant P123.
- Control of silica morphology (ropelike, hollow spheres) via TMP/P123 ratio.
- Varying synthesis temperatures (15, 25, 40°C) to achieve different mesostructures (2D hexagonal, vesicular, MCF).
- Characterization of adsorption capacity and lysozyme immobilization kinetics.
Main Results:
- Ropelike mesoporous silica particles formed at a TMP/P123 ratio of 0.5.
- Silica hollow spheres synthesized at higher TMP/P123 ratios.
- Synthesis temperature dictates mesostructure: 2D hexagonal, vesicular, or mesostructured cellular foams (MCF).
- High adsorption capacity (up to 536 mg g⁻¹) and rapid lysozyme immobilization (<5 min).
- Mesoporous silica hollow spheres with rugged surfaces significantly accelerate enzyme adsorption.
Conclusions:
- Tunable synthesis of mesoporous silicas with controlled morphologies and structures is achievable.
- TMP and P123 ratio, along with temperature, are critical parameters for morphology control.
- Synthesized mesoporous silicas exhibit excellent performance for rapid lysozyme immobilization.
- Hollow silica spheres show enhanced adsorption kinetics, highlighting their potential for biomolecule applications.
