Amperometric sensing of norepinephrine at picomolar concentrations using screen printed,high surface area mesoporous carbon

Norepinephrine (NE) is detected amperometrically using the enzyme Phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase and cofactor S-(5′-Adenosyl)-l-methionine chloride dihydrochloride with disposable screen printed mesoporous carbon electrodes. The role of internal surface area and pore size of the mesoporous carbon is systematically examined using soft-templated, mesoporous silica–carbon powders with highly microporous walls obtained from etching of the silica to produce powders with surface areas ranging from 671–2339 m² g⁻¹. As the surface area increases, the sensitivity of the biosensor at very low NE concentrations (0–500 pg mL⁻¹) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) increases just as the current signal increases with respect to the NE concentration of 81–1581 μA mL ng⁻¹ cm⁻² for the mesoporous carbons. The best performing electrode provides similar sensitivity in whole rabbit blood in comparison to PBS despite no membrane layer to filter the non-desired reactants; the small (<5 nm) pore size and large internal surface area acts to minimize non-specific events that decrease sensitivity.     

Three‐Dimensional Ultralarge‐Pore Ia3d Mesoporous Silica with Various Pore Diameters and Their Application in Biomolecule Immobilization

Highly ordered mesoporous three‐dimensional Ia3d silica (KIT‐6) with different pore diameters has been synthesized by using pluronic P123 as surfactant template and n‐butanol as cosolvent at different synthesis temperatures in a highly acidic medium. The materials were characterized by XRD and N₂ adsorption. The synthesis temperature plays a significant role in controlling the pore diameter, surface area, and pore volume of the materials. The material prepared at 150 °C, KIT‐6‐150, has a large pore diameter (11.3 nm) and a high specific pore volume (1.53 cm³ g^?1). We also demonstrate immobilization of lysozyme, which is a stable and hard protein, on KIT‐6 materials with different pore diameters. The amount of lysozyme adsorbed on large‐pore KIT‐6 is extremely large (57.2 μmol g^?1) and is much higher than that observed for mesoporous silicas MCM‐41, SBA‐15, and KIT‐5, mesoporous carbons, and carbon nanocages. The effect of various parameters such as buffer concentration, adsorption temperature, concentration of the lysozyme, and the textural parameter of the adsorbent on the lysozyme adsorption capacity of KIT‐6 was studied. The amount adsorbed mainly depends on solution pH, ionic strength, adsorption temperature, and pore volume and pore diameter of the adsorbent. The mechanism of adsorption on KIT‐6 under different adsorption conditions is discussed. In addition, the structural stability of lysozyme molecules and the KIT‐6 adsorbent before and after adsorption were investigated by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, and FTIR spectroscopy.     

Temperature dependent synthesis of micro- and meso-porous silica employing the thermo-responsive polymer of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) as structure-directing agent

Temperature dependent synthesis of micro- and meso-porous silica employing the thermo-responsive homopolymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or the random copolymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) as structure-directing agent (SDA) and Na₂SiO₃ as silica source is proposed. The thermo-responsive character of the SDA provides the advantages including (1) temperature dependent synthesis of microporous silica, hierarchically micro-mesoporous silica, and mesoporous silica just by changing the aging temperature below or above the low critical solution temperature of the thermo-responsive SDA, and (2) elimination of the thermo-responsive SDA from silica matrix by water extraction. The synthesis mechanism is discussed, and the effect of the aging temperature and the weight radio of SDA/Na₂SiO₃ on the synthesis of micro- and meso-porous silica are studied. Microporous silica, hierarchically micro-mesoporous silica and mesoporous silica with the surface area at 3.5−9.0 × 10² m²/g and the pore volume at 0.28−1.13 cm³/g and the average pore size ranging from 1.1 to 9.0 nm are synthesized. The strategy affords a new and environmentally benign way to fabricate porous silica materials, and is believed to bridge the gap between the synthesis of microporous and mesoporous silica materials.     

Stepwise synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of ordered mesoporous carbons containing well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles using a functionalized template route

A stepwise method is described for the accurately controlled growth of Pt nanoparticles supported on ordered mesoporous carbons (Pt-OMC) by the nanocasting of carbon and metal precursors in the pore channels of mesoporous silicas functionalized with Si-H groups. Results obtained from N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy showed well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles (2-3 nm) on Pt-OMC with high surface area (837 m² g⁻¹) and regular pore channels (2.9 nm), which facilitate reactant/product diffusion. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that Pt nanoparticles in the Pt-OMC sample were mostly present in the metallic form of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure. The Pt-OMC catalyst was found to have superior electrocatalytic properties during oxygen reduction reaction as compared to typical commercial electrocatalysts.     

Highly Ordered Mesoporous Few‐Layer Graphene Frameworks Enabled by Fe3O4 Nanocrystal Superlattices

While great progress has been achieved in the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons in the past decade, it still remains a challenge to prepare highly graphitic frameworks with ordered mesoporosity and high surface area. Reported herein is a simple synthetic methodology, based on the conversion of self‐assembled superlattices of Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals, to fabricate highly ordered mesoporous graphene frameworks (MGFs) with ultrathin pore walls consisting of three to six stacking graphene layers. The MGFs possess face‐centered‐cubic symmetry with interconnected mesoporosity, tunable pore width, and high surface area. Because of their unique architectures and superior structural durability, the MGFs exhibit excellent cycling stability and rate performance when used as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries, thus retaining a specific capacity of 520 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 300 mA g^?1 after 400 cycles.     

Novel synthesis of high-surface-area ordered mesoporous TiO2 with anatase framework for photocatalytic applications

Ordered mesoporous TiO₂ materials with an anatase frameworks have been synthesized by using a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TMABr) as a structure-directing agent and soluble peroxytitanates as Ti precursor through a self-assembly between the positive charged surfactant S⁺ and the negatively charged inorganic framework I^? (S⁺I^? type). The low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-prepared mesoporous TiO₂ materials indicates a hexagonal mesostructure. XRD and transmission electron microscopy results and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms measurements indicate that the calcined mesoporous TiO₂ possesses an anatase crystalline framework having a maximum pore size of 6.9 nm and a maximum Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area of 284 m² g^?1. This ordered mesoporous anatase TiO₂ also demonstrates a high photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue under ultraviolet irradiation.     

Ordered hierarchical mesoporous anatase TiO2 from yeast biotemplates

A novel approach is proposed to prepare ordered hierarchical mesoporous TiO₂ by using yeast cells as the template via biomimetic mineralization. The structure and the mophology were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Raman spectra, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms (NADI). The bio-templated TiO₂ has a hierarchical pore structure mainly distributed at 4.7 nm and 11.3 nm. An air electrode fabricated using this hierarchical mesoporous TiO₂ exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Compared to the electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) air electrode employed commercially, a 90% higher catalytic reduction current was achieved for this mesoporous TiO₂ electrode. It is supposed that the hierarchically mesoporous structure and ordered pore distribution play important roles in significantly reducing electrochemical polarization and improving mass transport of the air diffusion electrode. This simple and efficient approach could spread as a general way to prepare advanced mesoporous materials in mild condition.     

Anodic alumina supported dual-layer microporous silica membranes

We present a new processing scheme for the deposition of microporous, sol–gel derived silica membranes on inexpensive, commercially available anodic alumina (Anodisk™) supports. In a first step, a surfactant-templated mesoporous silica sublayer (pore size 2–6 nm) is deposited on the Anodisk support by dip-coating, in order to provide a smooth transition from the pore size of the support (20 or 100 nm) to that of the membrane (3–4 Å). Subsequently, the microporous gas separation membrane layer is deposited by spin-coating, resulting in a defect-free dual-layer micro-/mesoporous silica membrane exhibiting high permeance and high selectivity for size selective gas separations. For example, in the case of CO₂:N₂ separation, the CO₂ permeance reached 3.0 MPU (1 MPU = 10⁻⁷ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹) coupled with a CO₂:N₂ separation factor in excess of 80 at 25 °C. This processing scheme can be utilized for laboratory-scale development of other types of microporous or dense inorganic membranes, taking advantage of the availability, low cost and low permeation resistance of anodic alumina (or other metal oxide) meso- and macroporous supports.     

Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Materials by Dry Etching

A novel synthesis method for ordered mesoporous carbons is presented. The inverse replication of a silica template was achieved using the carbonization of sucrose within mesoporous KIT‐6. Instead of liquid acid etching, as in classical nanocasting, a novel dry chlorine etching procedure for template removal is presented for the first time. The resultant ordered mesostructured carbon material outperforms carbons obtained by conventional hard templating with respect to high specific micro‐ and mesopore volumes (0.6 and 1.6 cm³ g^?1, respectively), due to the presence of a hierarchical pore system. A high specific surface area of 1671 m² g^?1 was achieved, rendering this synthesis route a highly convenient method to produce ordered mesoporous carbons.     

Mesoporous Carbons Templated by PEO-PCL Block Copolymers as Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors

In this study, samples of activated mesoporous carbon are fabricated with pore structures with cylinder and gyroid nanostructures through the templating effect of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide-block-caprolactone) (PEO-PCL) and by using specific resol/PEO-PCL weight ratios (e.g., 60:40 for cylinders; 55:45 for gyroids). After carbonization and KOH activation, the activated mesoporous carbons were tested as electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) supercapacitors. The electrochemical properties were examined by using three-electrode (6 m KOH_(aq) as electrolyte) and CR2032 coin-cell (1 m tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF₄)/CN as the electrolyte) systems. The gyroid carbon samples provided specific capacitances higher than those of the cylinder carbon samples in both aqueous and organic systems: 155 F g⁻¹ compared with 135 F g⁻¹ in 6 m KOH_(aq), and 105.6 compared with 96 F g⁻¹ in 1 m TEABF₄/MeCN, after 100 charge/discharge cycles. It is suspected that the bi-continuous mesochannels of the gyroid-type activated mesoporous carbons provided a relatively higher effective adsorption surface area; in other words, the greater surface area for energy storage originated from a moderate pore size and an interconnected pore structure.     

Templated Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous Carbons with Tailored Structures and Morphologies

Due to the excellent biocompatibility and the capability to load and release drugs, ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) have been highly prospective and valuable in drug delivery system. In this contribution, synthesis of OMCs with tailored pore sizes from 4.1 to 3.4 nm was achieved by employing SBA‐15 as template and furfuryl alcohol (FA) as carbon precursors. An array of OMCs with controlled structures and morphologies by incipient wetness with FA was analyzed by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The resulting carbon replicas retained the hexagonal symmetry of the silica templates SBA‐15 with p6mm space group, although the framework suffered shrinkage in the replicated process. The pore size distribution, uniformity and pore volume of the mesopores in the OMCs were affected by structural properties of the SBA‐15 templates as shown by N₂ sorption and XRD pattern analysis. The process had the advantage that the textural parameters of the obtained OMCs were tunable simply by varying aging temperature of the silica template and the ratio of carbon precursor.     

Ammonia-treatment assisted fully encapsulation of Fe2O3 nanoparticles in mesoporous carbons as stable anodes for lithium ion batteries

To improve the initial coulombic efficiency and bulk density of ordered mesoporous carbons, active Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were introduced into tubular mesopore channels of CMK-5 carbon, which possesses high specific surface area (>1700 m²·g^?1) and large pore volume (>1.8 cm³·g^?1). Fine Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 5–7 nm were highly and homogenously encapsulated into CMK-5 matrix through ammonia-treatment and subsequent pyrolysis method. The Fe₂O₃ loading was carefully tailored and designed to warrant a high Fe₂O₃ content and adequate buffer space for improving the electrochemical performance. In particular, such Fe₂O₃ and mesoporous carbon composite with 47 wt% loading exhibits a considerably stable cycle performance (683 mAh·g^?1 after 100 cycles, 99% capacity retention against that of the second cycle) as well as good rate capability. The fabrication strategy can effectively solve the drawback of single material, and achieve a high-performance lithium electrode material.     

Polymeric Micelle Assembly for the Smart Synthesis of Mesoporous Platinum Nanospheres with Tunable Pore Sizes

A facile method for the fabrication of well‐dispersed mesoporous Pt nanospheres involves the use of a polymeric micelle assembly. A core–shell–corona type triblock copolymer [poly(styrene‐b‐2‐vinylpyridine‐b‐ethylene oxide), PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO] is employed as the pore‐directing agent. Negatively charged PtCl₄^2? ions preferably interact with the protonated P2VP⁺ blocks while the free PEO chains prevent the aggregation of the Pt nanospheres. The size of the mesopores can be finely tuned by varying the length of the PS chain. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the metallic mesoporous nanospheres thus obtained are promising candidates for applications in electrochemistry.     

Control of Drug Release through the In Situ Assembly of Stimuli‐Responsive Ordered Mesoporous Silica with Magnetic Particles

A site‐selective controlled delivery system for controlled drug release is fabricated through the in situ assembly of stimuli‐responsive ordered SBA‐15 and magnetic particles. This approach is based on the formation of ordered mesoporous silica with magnetic particles formed from Fe(CO)₅ via the surfactant‐template sol‐gel method and control of transport through polymerization of N‐isopropyl acrylamide inside the pores. Hydrophobic Fe(CO)₅ acts as a swelling agent as well as being the source of the magnetic particles. The obtained system demonstrates a high pore diameter (7.1 nm) and pore volume (0.41 cm³ g^?1), which improves drug storage for relatively large molecules. Controlled drug release through the porous network is demonstrated by measuring the uptake and release of ibuprofen (IBU). The delivery system displays a high IBU storage capacity of 71.5 wt %, which is almost twice as large as the highest value based on SBA‐15 ever reported. In vitro testing of IBU loading and release exhibits a pronounced transition at around 32 °C, indicating a typical thermosensitive controlled release.     

MCM-48介孔材料相转化合成的形成机制

利用水热合成的方法,使用新型的表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基对苯磺酸盐作为模板剂合成了高质量的MCM-48介孔分子筛,并用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)以及N₂吸附-脱附进行了表征。合成过程的研究表明该合成体系经历了三相,起始相为具有六方对称性的MCM-41,随着加热时间的延长,生成了具有立方对称性的MCM-48,进一步延长加热时间则生成了层状相MCM-50。三相转变发生的核心驱动力来自于表面活性剂有效堆积参数g因子的改变,随着反应时间的延长,由于对甲基苯磺酸根离子（Tos^-）的流失,表面活性剂极性头所占的有效面积（a₀）明显减小,g值变大。另外,XRD、傅立叶变换的红外光谱(FT-IR)以及固体魔角自旋核磁共振(²⁹Si MAS NMR)的表征结果证明：随着晶化时间的延长,相转变的同时伴随着介孔材料的孔壁逐渐由原子无序的非晶态向原子有序的晶态结构转变。最终形成的原子有序层状介孔分子筛可以作为扩孔型微孔分子筛合成的有效前驱体。     

Physical and electrochemical characterization of activated carbons with high mesoporous ratio for supercapacitors based on ionic liquid as the electrolyte

A series of activated carbons with high mesoporous ratio were prepared by KOH reactivation based on activated carbon as the precursor. As the KOH/AC mass ratio was increased to 4:1, the mesoporous ratio increases from 60% to 76%, and the average pore size from 2.23 to 3.14?nm. Moreover, the specific capacitance for the activated carbon in ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylmidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm]BF₄) can reach the maximum value of 189?F?g^?1 (8.0???F?cm^?2). In addition, the decrease of specific capacitance for activated carbons by KOH reactivation with current density increase shows two regimes, suggesting that activated carbons with high mesoporous ratio are much fit for charge?Cdischarge at larger current density.     

Non‐surfactant template‐directed synthesis of SiO2‐polyimide hybrid self‐standing films with ordered mesoporous structure

The silica‐PI hybrid self‐standing films with ordered mesoporous structure have been prepared by using dibenzoyl‐L ‐tartaric acid (L ‐DBTA) as non‐surfactant template under mild sol–gel route. Polyimide matrix was obtained from polyamic acid (PAA) via thermal imidization process and the template was removed in this process. The PI‐based hybrid film with 20 wt% SiO₂ obtained from DBTA presented the ordered mesoporous channels with average pore size of about 2.0 nm and BET surface area of 1167 m²/g. FTIR and SEM studies indicated that the hydrogen bond interaction between the carboxylic groups of DBTA and benzamide bonds of PAA made the PAA possibly participate in the assembly process of the aggregates of the non‐surfactant template molecules. The mechanical, thermal and some physical properties of these hybrid films materials were also characterized. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Engineering the Mesopores of Fe3O4@Mesosilica Core–Shell Nanospheres through a Solvothermal Post‐Treatment Method

A solvothermal post‐treatment method was developed to synthesize Fe₃O₄@mesosilica core–shell nanospheres (CSNs) with a well‐preserved morphology, mesoporous structure, and tunable large pore diameters (2.5–17.6 nm) for the first time. N,N‐Dimethylhexadecylamine (DMHA), which was generated in situ during the heat‐treatment process, was mainly responsible for this pore‐size enlargement, as characterized by NMR spectroscopy. This pore‐size expansion can be strengthened with the aid of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), whilst the nature of the surface of the Fe₃O₄@mesosilica CSNs can be easily modified with trimethylsilyl groups during the pore‐size‐expansion process. The hydrophobicity of the Fe₃O₄@mesosilica CSNs increased for the enlarged mesopores and the adsorption capacity of these CSNs for benzene (up to 1.5 g g^?1) is the highest ever reported for Fe₃O₄@mesosilica CSNs. The resultant Fe₃O₄@mesosilica CSNs (pore size: 10 nm) showed a 3.6‐times higher adsorption capacity of lysozyme than those without the pore expansion (pore size: 2.5 nm), thus making them a good candidate for loading large molecules.     

MCM-48介孔材料相转化合成的形成机制

利用水热合成的方法,使用新型的表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基对苯磺酸盐作为模板剂合成了高质量的MCM-48介孔分子筛,并用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)以及N₂吸附-脱附进行了表征。合成过程的研究表明该合成体系经历了三相,起始相为具有六方对称性的MCM-41,随着加热时间的延长,生成了具有立方对称性的MCM-48,进一步延长加热时间则生成了层状相MCM-50。三相转变发生的核心驱动力来自于表面活性剂有效堆积参数g因子的改变。另外,XRD、傅立叶变换的红外光谱(FT-IR)以及固体魔角自旋核磁共振(²⁹Si MAS NMR)的表征结果证明：随着晶化时间的延长,相转变的同时伴随着介孔材料的孔壁逐渐由原子无序的非晶态向原子有序的晶态结构转变。最终形成的原子有序层状介孔分子筛可以作为扩孔型微孔分子筛合成的有效前驱体。     

Nitric acid oxidation of ordered mesoporous carbons for use in electrochemical supercapacitors

Ordered mesoporous carbon materials with high microporosity were synthesized by a low temperature autoclaving of citric acid-catalyzed polymerized resorcinol/formaldehyde in the presence of the triblock copolymer F127 and were activated by nitric acid oxidation. The materials were used as electrode materials in electrochemical supercapacitors. A bimodal pore size distribution of 2.1–2.3 and 5.3 nm with a surface area of 465–578 m² g^?1 and pore volume of 0.44–0.54 cm³ g^?1 was obtained with the retention of an ordered mesoporous structure after nitric acid (2 M) treatment. The introduced functional groups produced a pseudocapacitance, which resulted in an increase in the specific capacitance. The electrochemical capacitance of the resulting mesoporous carbons showed a marked increase after 3 h of nitric acid activation, exhibiting a high value of 295 F g^?1 at the scan rate of 10 mV s^?1 in 6 M KOH aqueous solution and good cycling stability with specific capacitance retention over 500 cycles.