Preparation of Novel Mesoporous Silica Using a Self-Assembled Graphene Oxide Template

Novel mesoporous silicas rolled with silica sheets with 2D regular spacing were prepared using a self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) template formed by mixing GO with Pluronic123 (P123). Self-assembled GO templated mesoporous silicas (SGT-PMS) showed well-developed X-ray diffraction peaks with d-spacings of 9.8-10.8 nm depending on the amount of GO, indicating mesoporous structures. The specific surface areas increased from 603.8 to 861.2 m²g^-1 on adding GO. The pore size distribution was in the range 5.1-5.8 nm and pore volume in the range 0.80-0.99 m³g^-1. The SEM images of SGT-PMS showed irregular elliptical particles with various sizes. TEM images showed that the cross section of SGT-PMS particles comprises a roll of silica sheets with 2D regular spacing. The pore walls of SGT-PMS are firmer and thicker than those for PMS without GO as indicated by the corresponding intensities of Q³ and Q⁴ signals. These results were explained well by the self-assembled GO templating mechanism.