Mesoporous Silica Layer: Preparation and Opportunity

Periodic mesoporous silicas, which were prepared from silica-surfactant mesostructured materials, have been investigated for a wide range of application due to their very large surface area, high porosity, pore size uniformity and variation, periodic pore arrangement and possible pore surface modification, after the pioneering papers on the formation of mesoporous silicas (MCM-41 and FSM-16). Morphosyntheses from such macroscopic morphologies as bulk monolith and film to nanoscopic ones, nanoparticles and their stable suspension, make mesoporous materials more attractive for applications and detailed characterization. Mesoporous silicas have been studied initially for such applications as adsorbent and catalyst, and more recently, optical, electronic, and bio-related applications have been investigated. This review summarizes the studies on mesoporous silica film to highlight the present status and future of the preparation, characterization and application of the mesoporous silica film.