Tailoring Mesopores in Monolithic Macroporous Silica for HPLC

Mesopore formation in silica gels having continuous macropores has been investigated. The macroporous wet silica gel prepared by the sol‐gel process including phase separation was aged in a basic solvent making use of hydrolysis of urea in a closed condition. The mesopore structure was finally obtained by subsequent evaporation drying of solvent and heat‐treatment at 600°C for 2 h. The dissolution‐reprecipitation kinetics at the interfaces between wet gel skeletons and an external solvent affected the size and volume of pores formed within the skeletons. Below 120°C, mesopores suitable for various chromatographic applications have been formed typically within 24 h. On the other hand, at 200°C, the pore size attained the macropore dimensions (>50 nm), and the whole macroporous morphology was significantly modified.     

Double Pore Silica Gel Monolith Applied to Liquid Chromatography

Silica gels retaining double pore structure in the size ranges of micrometer and nanometer have been applied to the rod-shaped monolithic column for liquid chromatography. The macropore structure was designed by controlling the phase separation process induced by the hydrolysis and polycondensation of alkoxysilane, whereas the mesopore structure was tailored by the solvent exchange treatments on wet gels. The size exclusion chromatograms on polystyrene standards exhibited almost similar features for octadecyl-modified rod and conventional packed beads columns. The dependence of plate height on the velocity of mobile phase determined for amylbenzene was by far weaker in the rod column than in the packed beads column, suggesting that additional geometrical factors should be considered in describing the separation mechanism in the rod column.     

Effect of composition,solvent exchange liquid and drying method on the porous structure of phenol–formaldehyde gels

Organic gels have been synthesized by sol–gel polycondensation of phenol (P) and formaldehyde (F) catalyzed by sodium carbonate (C). The effect of synthesis parameters such as phenol/catalyst ratio (P/C), solvent exchange liquid and drying method, on the porous structure of the gels have been investigated. The total and mesopore volumes of the PF gels increased with increasing P/C ratio in the range of P/C ≤ 8, after this both properties started to decrease with P/C ratio for P/C > 8 and the gel with P/C = 8 showed the highest total and mesopore volumes of 1.281 and 1.279 cm³ g⁻¹ respectively. The gels prepared by freeze drying possessed significantly higher porosities than the vacuum dried gels. The pore volume and average pore diameter of the freeze dried gels were significantly higher than those of the vacuum dried gels. T-butanol emerged as the preferred solvent for the removal of water from the PF hydrogel prior to drying, as significantly higher pore volumes and specific surface areas were obtained in the corresponding dried gels. The results showed that freeze drying with t-butanol and lower P/C ratios were favourable conditions for the synthesis of highly mesoporous phenol–formaldehyde gels.     

Textural characterization of native and n-alky-bonded silica monoliths by mercury intrusion/extrusion, inverse size exclusion chromatography and nitrogen adsorption

Native and n-alkyl-bonded (n-octadecyl) monolithic silica rods with mesopores in the range between 10 and 25 nm and macropores in the range between 1.8 and 6.0 microm were examined by mercury intrusion/extrusion, inverse size exclusion chromatography (ISEC) and nitrogen sorption. Our results reveal very good agreement for the mesopore size distribution obtained from nitrogen adsorption (in combination with an advanced NLDFT analysis) and ISEC. Our studies highlight the importance of mercury porosimetry for the assessment of the macropore size distribution and show that mercury porosimetry is the only method which allows obtaining a combined and comprehensive structural characterization of macroporous/mesoporous silica monoliths. Our data clearly confirm that mercury porosimetry hysteresis and entrapment have different origin, and indicate the intrinsic nature of mercury porosimetry hysteresis in these silica monoliths. Within this context some silica monoliths show the remarkable result of no entrapment of mercury after extrusion from the mesopore system (i.e. for the first intrusion/extrusion cycle). The results of a systematic study of the mercury intrusion/extrusion behavior into native silica monoliths and monoliths with bonded n-alkyl groups reveals that the macro (through) pore structure, which controls the mass transfer to and from the mesopores, here mainly controls the entrapment behavior. Our data suggest that mercury intrusion/extrusion porosimetry does not only allow to obtain a comprehensive pore structure analysis, but can also serve as a tool to estimate the mass transport properties of silica monoliths to be employed in liquid-phase separation processes.     

Structural characterization of hierarchically porous alumina aerogel and xerogel monoliths

Detailed nanostructures have been investigated for hierarchically porous alumina aerogels and xerogels prepared from ionic precursors via sol–gel reaction. Starting from AlCl₃·6H₂O and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) dissolved in a H₂O/EtOH mixed solvent, monolithic wet gels were synthesized using propylene oxide (PO) as a gelation initiator. Hierarchically porous alumina xerogels and aerogels were obtained after evaporative drying and supercritical drying, respectively. Macroporous structures are formed as a result of phase separation, while interstices between the secondary particles in the micrometer-sized gel skeletons work as mesoporous structures. Alumina xerogels exhibit considerable shrinkage during the evaporative drying process, resulting in relatively small mesopores (from 5.4 to 6.2 nm) regardless of the starting composition. For shrinkage-free alumina aerogels, on the other hand, the median mesopore size changes from 13.9 to 33.1 nm depending on the starting composition; the increases in PEO content and H₂O/EtOH volume ratio both contribute to producing smaller mesopores. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis reveals that variation of median mesopore size can be ascribed to the change in agglomeration state of primary particles. As PEO content and H₂O/EtOH ratio increase, secondary particles become small, which results in relatively small mesopores. The results indicate that the agglomeration state of alumina primary particles is influenced by the presence of weakly interacting phase separation inducers such as PEO.     

Formation of interpenetrating hierarchical titania structures by confined synthesis in inverse opal

Hierarchical periodic titania nanostructures composed of a macroporous crystalline scaffold and mesoporous titania were prepared by confined synthesis. The strategy for the generation of these hierarchical structures involves preparation of inverse opal titania layers and subsequent filling of the interstitial macroporous voids with surfactant-containing titania precursors to obtain a mesostructured titania phase using the surfactant Pluronic P123. The formation of mesostructure in the confined space of the macroporous scaffold upon thermal treatment was investigated with in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The macroporous scaffold strongly influences the mesostructure assembly and leads to much larger structural parameters of the formed mesostructure, this effect becoming more pronounced with decreasing pore size of the macroporous host. Furthermore, the inverse opal scaffold acts as a stabilizing matrix, limiting the shrinkage of the mesopores upon heating. This effect is coupled with an enhanced crystallization of the mesophase, which is attributed to the crystalline walls of the macroporous host. Sorption measurements of the final hierarchical titania structure of 5 μm thickness show that the porous system is fully accessible, has a high total surface area of 154 m(2)/g, and has an average mesopore size of 6.1 nm, which is about 20% larger than the pore size of 5.1 nm for the reference mesoporous film obtained on a flat substrate. These hierarchical structures were implemented as anodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), showing a conversion efficiency of 4% under one sun illumination, whereas the calcined macroporous scaffold alone shows an efficiency of only 0.4%.     

Structure Design of Double-Pore Silica and Its Application to HPLC

Utilizing the concurrence of polymerization-induced phase separation and sol-gel transition in the hydrolytic polycondensation of alkoxysilanes, a well-defined macroporous structure is formed in a monolithic wet gel. By exchanging the fluid phase of the wet gel with an appropriate external solution, the nanometer-range structure of the wet gel can be reorganized into structures with larger median pore size essentially without affecting the macroporous framework. The double-pore structure thus prepared is characterized by open pores distributed in discrete size ranges of micrometers and nanometers. A new type of chromatographic column (silica rod) has been developed using monolithic double-pore silica instead of packed spherical gel particles. Typical silica rod columns had significantly reduced pressure drops and improved analytical efficiencies which do not deteriorate even at higher sample flow rates, both arising from a greater macropore volume than particle packed columns.     

Porous Gels Made by Phase Separation: Recent Progress and Future Directions

Recent progress in the sol-gel science concerning the porous gels made by phase separation has been reviewed. Based on the principle and technique explored for monoliths, the material shape has been extended to a macroporous thick film and a macroporous gel in a confined space such as capillary, both of which are expected to find useful applications in the chromatography. The modifiable size range of the additional porosity within the micrometer-sized gel skeleton has been broadened from micropores by zeolite, mesopores by surfactant templates to macropores by intensive hydrothermal treatments. A detailed investigation of 3D interfacial structure in real space has been performed using the laser scanning confocal microscope, which enabled quantitative comparison of the structure with those of other phase-separating systems.     

SiO2阶层多孔结构搭建及块体材料制备机理

借助溶胶-凝胶结合相分离和模板法进行了阶层多孔结构的搭建及二氧化硅多孔块体材料的制备,表征了阶层多孔块体的显微结构及孔结构特性,分析了阶层多孔结构的搭建机理。研究结果表明,三嵌段共聚物聚环氧乙烷-聚环氧丙烷-聚环氧乙烷（P123）的加入不仅诱导共混体系发生相分离,调控大孔结构的形成,同时形成球形胶束并作为模板剂进入骨架,而1,3,5-三甲基苯（TMB）的加入使P123形成的胶束膨胀且更加稳定,在骨架上成功引入了球形介孔,骨架中凝胶粒子相互聚集形成微孔,从而搭建贯通大孔-球形介孔-微孔同时分布的阶层多孔结构,并获得相应的多孔块体材料;当正硅酸甲酯（TMOS）：P123：TMB摩尔比为1：0.015：0.353时,多孔块体材料的阶层多孔结构最优,大孔孔径为0.5-1.5 μm,介孔孔径为3-4 nm,显气孔率66.1%,比表面积为616 m²·g^-1。     

A review on the development of a porous carbon-based as modeling materials for electric double layer capacitors

Carbon electrodes are a key factor for electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs). Carbon gels have high porosity with a controllable pore structure by changing synthesis conditions and modifying preparation processing to improve the electrochemical performance of EDLCs. This review summarizes the preparation of carbon gels and their derivatives, the criteria to synthesize high surface area in each process, the development by some carbon forms, and EDLC applications. Porous carbons are also prepared as model materials by concentrating on how pore structure increases electrochemical capacitance, such as electronic and ion resistance, the tortuosity of pore channel, suitable micropore and mesopore sizes, and mesopore size distribution. This review emphasizes the significance of pore structures as the key factor to allow for the design of suitable pore structures that are suitable as the carbon electrode for EDLCs.     

Simulation-aided design and synthesis of hierarchically porous membranes

Free-standing silica membranes with hierarchical porosity (ca. 300 nm macropores surrounded by 6-8 nm mesopores) and controllable mesopore architecture were prepared by a dual-templating method, with the structural design aided by mesoscale simulation. To create a two-dimensional, hexagonal macropore array, polymeric colloidal hemisphere arrays were synthesized by a two-step annealing process starting with non-close-packed polystyrene sphere arrays on silicon coated with a sacrificial alumina layer. A silica precursor containing a poly(ethylene) oxide-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock-copolymer surfactant as template for mesopore creation was spin-coated onto the support and aged and then converted into the free-standing membranes by dissolving both templates and the alumina layer. To test the hypothesis that the mesopore architecture may be influenced by confinement of the surfactant-containing precursor solution in the colloidal array and by its interactions with the polymeric colloids, the system was studied theoretically by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations and experimentally by examining the pore structures of silica membranes via electron microscopy. The DPD simulations demonstrated that, while only tilted columnar structure can be formed through tuning the interaction with the substrate, perfect alignment of 2D hexagonal micelles perpendicular to the plane of the membrane is achievable by confinement between parallel walls that interact preferentially with the hydrophilic components (PEO blocks, silicate, and solvent). The simulations predicted that this alignment could be maintained across a span of up to 10 columns of micelles, the same length scale defined by the colloidal array. In the actual membranes, we manipulated the mesopore alignment by tuning the solvent polarity relative to the polar surface characteristics of the colloidal hemispheres. With methanol as a solvent, columnar mesopores parallel to the substrate were observed; with a methanol-water mixed solvent, individual spherical mesopores were present; and with water as the only solvent, twisted columnar structures were seen.     

双模板法制备介孔／大孔复合孔结构硅胶独石

采用双模板法,向正硅酸甲酯的水解体系中同时引入聚乙二醇和三嵌段共聚物,成功制备出具有双连续大孔、同时孔壁中分布着有序介孔的复合孔结构硅胶独石材料. 产物的比表面积高达880 m2/g, 大孔孔径为0.2～5 μm, 介孔高度集中地分布在 5 nm. 结合物理吸附、扫描电镜、粉末X射线衍射和透射电镜等表征手段,发现合成条件如原料组成、反应温度和pH值等对反应体系中凝胶化转变和相分离发生的相对速度有重要影响,进而影响产物复合孔结构的生成. 此外,通过对合成条件的优化,一方面增强了无机骨架的强度,另一方面降低了湿凝胶干燥过程中的毛细管压力降,有效缓和了凝胶结构在干燥过程中的开裂和变形,使复合孔结构硅胶独石在厘米尺度内具有良好的整体性能.     

Alkoxy-derived multiscale porous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> gels probed by ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering

Titania (TiO₂) monoliths with well-defined bicontinuous macropores and gel skeletons were prepared through the alkoxy-derived sol–gel process accompanied by spinodal decomposition, and the structural evolution during evaporation drying and heat treatment was probed by a combination of ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering. X-ray scattering profiles of wet and dried gels revealed that microporous structures related to the existence of primary particles are present in the gel skeletons at the wet stage and are preserved during drying. Additionally, it is found that the primary particles swollen in the wet condition are dried to compact aggregates to produce the smooth surface of gel skeletons. Upon heating at 400 °C, the particle–particle correlation associated with regularity of mesostructures is enhanced. From nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, the average pore size is less than 1 nm in the dried gel and increases to 3.1 nm by the heat treatment. Homogeneous growth of primary particles due to interparticle-polycondensation reaction is responsible for the increased size and uniform distribution of mesopores in the heat-treated gel.     

Microstructural Analysis of the Effects of Poly(ethylene glycol) on an Acid Catalyzed Sol-Gel Derived Ceramic Material

Ceramic materials have been derived from an acid catalyzed sol-gel process. The addition of different molecular weights and concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the sol mixture modifies the phase behaviour of the sol-gel process. The resulting gel is burned at 973 K to make porous ceramic materials. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms are used to assess the effects of PEG on the internal structure of the burned ceramic material. These isotherms indicate an extensive pore network exists consisting of micropores and mesopores. In the micropore region of the isotherms, the _S-plot analysis reveals changes in specific primary micropore volumes, specific total pore volumes, specific external surface areas and specific SPE surface area when PEG is added in the sol-gel process. The average pore width and the overall mesopore size distribution curves shift to higher pore size values and ranges on addition of PEG to the sol-gel mixture. The presence of PEG during the sol-gel process leads to an apparent narrowing of the micropore size distribution. The results of this work clearly indicate that the molecular weight and the concentration of a polymer, such as PEG, influences the eventual internal structure of a ceramic after burning.     

Pore Structure and Properties of Silica Gels Prepared in Emulsions

Silica gels having a developed mesopore structure with mean pore diameters in the range 10–20 nm have been prepared by sol–gel emulsion technology. A correlation has been found between the synthesis parameters, pore structure characteristics, adsorption properties, and stability of the material prepared.     

Porous silicon oxycarbide glasses from organically modified silica gels of high surface area

High surface area alkyl-substituted silica aerogels and xerogels were successfully prepared by sol-gel processing and supercritical drying. The gels were further heat treated in inert atmosphere to temperatures as high as 1000°C. Surface areas and pore structure of the gels and gels pyrolyzed at high temperatures were determined by multipoint BET surface area measurement. The aerogels and xerogels exhibited surface areas of about 1100 m²/g. No significant effect of pH was found on the surface areas of gels in the two step sol-gel process, but gels of low pH showed smaller pore diameter and higher density. Xerogels showed smaller surface area, pore size, and pore volume compared to aerogels. Upon pyrolyzing in inert atmosphere, the surface areas of all the gels decreased with temperature as a result of collapse of micropores and shrinkage of mesopores. Unlike pure silica gel, which loses almost all surface area and densifies at 1000°C, the advantage of the alkyl-substituted gels is that they maintained a high surface area of 400 m²/g at 1000°C.Also with the Department of Agronomy.     

Preparation of Amorphous Silica-Alumina Using the Sol–Gel Method and its Reactivity for a Matrix in Catalytic Cracking

Amorphous silica-aluminas were prepared by the sol–gel method using organic templates such as carboxylic acid and the gel skeletal reinforcement method. Their reactivities as a matrix for the catalytic cracking were investigated. Malic acid (MA) was used as a catalyst for the sol–gel method, an organic template and a reagent for the dispersion of Al. When the ratio of MA/TEOS (tetraethoxysilane) increased from 0.22 to 1.22, surface area, pore volume and pore diameter increased and the mesopore was formed at 1.22. Their average BET pore diameters for 0.22 and 1.22 of MA/TEOS were 2.0 to 5.1 nm, respectively. Although conversions of n-dodecane were around 20% or less with single amorphous silica-aluminas, both single beta-zeolite and the mixed catalysts of zeolite and amorphous silica-aluminas showed much higher activity. Further, the mixed catalyst using silica-alumina with mesopore (MAT(MA122-5)) exhibited the higher ratio of multi-branched paraffin to single branched paraffin in the gasoline franction of products (C5–C11) than the mixed catalysts using silica-alumina with only micropore and silica with mesopore or single zeolite. In the gel skeletal reinforcement method, tetraethoxy orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as not only a precursor of silica but also an agent which reinforces the skeleton of silica-gel to prepare an aerogel and extremely large mesopores were formed for resultant silicas and silica-aluminas. When silica aerogel was reinforced by TEOS solution, the pore diameter and pore volume reached 30 nm and 3.1 cm³/g, respectively, in the N₂ adsorption measurement by the BJH method, indicating that most of pores for this silica consisted of mesopores. In catalytic clacking reaction of n-dodecane, the mixed catalyst prepared by beta-zeolite and silica-alumina with large mesopore exhibited not only the comparable activity to that for single zeolite but also the unique selectivity where large amounts of branched products were formed. When the catalyst beds of silica-alumina and zeolite were separated, the reference silica-alumina (ref.SA) → zeolite system exhibited the higher activity and the product selectivity close to those for MAT(ref.SA). It is likely that the primary cracking of n-dodecane on silica-alumina would occur to produce the primary cracked product which effectively reacted with zeolite and inhibited the coke formation by overcracking.     

Structure and permeability of gels

The textures of silica gels made by two-step acid/base and acid/acid catalysis of TEOS have been examined by thermoporometry (TPM) and NMR, and their permeabilities (D) have been measured by a thermal expansion technique. Using the pore size distribution given by TPM, which includes a large proportion of macropores (30 nm), calculated values of D are seriously overestimated. We conclude that, consistent with a theoretical prediction, compliant materials such as gels undergo contraction during freezing in the calorimeter, so that most of the macropore volume reported by TPM is actually extracted from mesopores. The mesopore radius reported by TPM is underestimated by only 20%, even if 50% of the pore liquid is drained during crystallization, assuming that the change in pore radius is related to the cube root of the volume change. NMR does not distinguish macropores, because of diffusional averaging, but provides an apparent distribution that permits an accurate estimate of the permeability.     

An improved methodology for adsorption characterization of unmodified and modified silica gels

An improvement in the adsorption characterization of the surface and structural properties of unmodified and modified mesoporous silica gels is presented. This improvement was achieved by selection of proper macroporous silica as the reference solid for adsorption characterization of porous silica gels. Experimental illustration is provided for unmodified and n-octyl-modified silica gels of different bonding density. The surface and structural properties of these silica gels were characterized by utilizing the standard adsorption data for both unmodified and octyl-modified LiChrospher Si-1000 macroporous silica gels. It was shown that the standard nitrogen adsorption data have an appreciable influence on the analysis of the pore size and surface properties of silica gels. This analysis can be improved by selecting the reference solid of the surface properties close to those of the silica gel studied.     

Ethanol Washing Effect on Textural Properties of the Sodium Silicate-Derived Silica Xerogel

This study deals with the use of ethanol as washing solvent in the preparation of the silica gels from sodium silicate in order to enhance the textural properties, especially surface area. We here examined the effect of ethanol-washing on surface area, micro- and mesopore volume, and average pore size. The silica xerogels prepared from sodium silicate solution exhibited an extremely high surface area of 1139 m2/g by washing their hydrogels with ethanol. Compared to water-washed xerogels, ethanol-washed xerogels showed higher surface areas, total pore volumes, and larger average pore sizes. Unlike the surface area of water-washed xerogel, that of the ethanol-washed xerogel was not affected by the silica concentration of initial solution. This study indicates that the textural properties of sodium silicate-derived xerogels are further enhanced by using ethanol as washing solvent.