Single-pot synthesis of ordered mesoporous silica films with unique controllable morphology

Mesoporous silica films consisting of a monolayer of separated SBA-15 particles with unusually wide and short pores grown on silicon wafers have been fabricated in a simple single-pot-synthesis, and the formation of the films has been studied. A recipe for synthesizing mesoporous silica rods with the addition of heptane and NH4F at low temperature was used and substrates were added to the synthesis solution during the reaction. The films are ~90 nm thick, have a pore size of 10.7-13.9 nm depending on the hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and a pore length of 200-400 nm. All pores are parallel to the substrate, open, and easy to access, making them suitable for applications such as catalyst hosts and gas separation. The growth of the films is closely correlated to the evolution of the mesoporous silica particles. Here, we have studied the time for adding substrates to the synthesis solution, the evolution of the films with time during formation, and the effect of hydrothermal treatment. It was found that the substrates should be added within 30-60s after turning off the stirring and the films are formed within 10 min after addition to the synthesis solution. The study has yielded a new route for synthesizing mesoporous silica films with a unique morphology.