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Tetraalkoxysilane-Assisted Self-Emulsification Templating for Controlled Mesostructured Silica Nanoparticles
Bo Peng1, Jia-Feng Zhou1, Hui Chen1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|March 2, 2023
Summary
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) form at the interface of a quaternary system. Their size and structure are dictated by microemulsification, revealing a new templating mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Colloid Chemistry
Background:
- Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are widely studied but their formation mechanisms remain debated.
- Understanding MSN formation is crucial for controlling their properties and applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the formation mechanism and mesostructure of MSNs.
- To investigate the role of microemulsification in MSN synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Investigation of a biphasic water-surfactant-triethanolamine-tetraalkoxysilane (TAOS) quaternary system.
- Analysis of spontaneous microemulsification and its influence on particle and pore size.
Main Results:
- MSNs are generated at the interface of the TAOS quaternary system.
- Microemulsification of TAOS dictates particle and pore size.
- Dendritic morphology is an intermediate species transforming into regular MSNs.
Conclusions:
- The microemulsion plays a primary templating role in MSN growth.
- A novel mechanism, tetraalkoxysilane-assisted self-emulsification templating, is proposed.
