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%.     

Opal and inverse opal photonic crystals: Fabrication and characterization

Three-dimensional photonic crystals made of close-packed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spheres or air spheres in silica, titania and ceria matrices have been fabricated and characterized using SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and UV–Vis transmittance measurements. The PMMA colloidal crystals (opals) were grown by self-assembly from aqueous suspensions of monodisperse PMMA spheres with diameters between 280 and 415 nm. SEM confirmed the PMMA spheres crystallized uniformly in a face-centred cubic (fcc) array, and UV–Vis measurements show that the colloidal crystals possess pseudo photonic band gaps in the visible and near-IR regions. Inverse opals were prepared by depositing silica (SiO₂), titania (TiO₂) or ceria (CeO₂) in the voids of the PMMA colloidal crystals using sol-gel procedures, then calcining the resulting structure at 550 °C to remove the polymer template. The resulting macroporous materials showed fcc ordering of air spheres separated by thin frameworks of amorphous silica, nanocrystalline titania or nanocrystalline ceria particles, respectively. Optical measurements confirmed the photonic nature of the inverse opal arrays. UV–Vis data collected for the opals and inverse opals obeyed a modified Bragg’s law expression that considers both diffraction and refraction of light by the photonic crystal architectures. The versatility of the colloidal crystal template approach for the fabrication of macroporous oxide structures is demonstrated.     

Opal and inverse opal fabricated with a flow-controlled vertical deposition method

In this work, an improved vertical deposition method, namely, a flow-controlled vertical deposition (FCVD) method, was used to grow colloidal crystals with large spherical colloids in water solvent and to infiltrate the colloidal crystals. Using the FCVD method, latex spheres as large as 2 microm can be fabricated into colloidal crystals in water. In addition, the method works very well for controlling surface morphologies of silica-infiltrated opals. Furthermore, fabrication of colloidal crystal heterostructures was demonstrated.     

二氧化钛溶胶凝胶的光致变色

通过钛酸丁酯在酸性醇溶液中的水解制备二氧化钛溶胶和凝胶。在中压汞灯的照射下,溶胶和凝胶由浅黄色变成蓝紫色。电子自旋共振谱(ESR)表明,变色的原因是由于…Ti－O－Ti－O…网络中Ti^4^+离子被还原成Ti^3^+离子。Ti^3^+离子又会被空气中的氧所氧化成Ti^4^+离子,个人成分吏家产凝胶由蓝紫色褪为浅黄色。和变色溶胶的吸收光谱不同,在变色凝胶的吸收光谱上出现了四个明显的吸收峰,这些吸收峰是由于处于一定结构中的Ti^3^+离子的3d轨道上电子的跃迁所引起。     

Molecularly templated materials in chemical sensing

Biologically-based recognition elements (e.g., antibodies, aptamers, enzymes, etc.) are used as the recognition element within a wide variety of assays and sensor systems. There are, however, compelling reasons for researchers to develop inexpensive, robust, and reusable alternatives for these expensive and unstable biorecognition elements. This review summarizes recent research efforts on the development of molecularly templated (sometimes called molecularly imprinted) organic and inorganic polymers as possible replacements for expensive/labile biorecognition elements. The review begins with a briefing on biosensing and the pertinent issues and limitations. The focus then swings toward molecularly templating within organic and inorganic (xerogels) polymers to create materials with analyte binding characteristics akin to a biorecognition element. The review then describes several recent developments wherein analyte recognition and an analyte-dependent transduction methodology are simultaneously incorporated directly within the templated materials. The review ends by outlining the current state-of-the-art and the remaining issues and impediments.     

S-layer templated bioinspired synthesis of silica

The current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the bioinspired formation of silica structures laid foundation for investigating the potential of the S-layer protein SbpA from Lysinibacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 as catalyst, template and scaffold for the generation of novel silica architectures. SbpA reassembles into monomolecular lattices with square (p4) lattice symmetry and a lattice constant of 13.1 nm. Silica layers on the S-layer lattice were formed using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and visualized by transmission electron microscopy. In situ quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) measurements showed the adsorption of silica in dependence on the presence of phosphate in the silicate solution and on the preceding chemical modification of the S-layer. An increased amount of precipitated silica could be observed when K₂HPO₄/KH₂PO₄ was present in the solution (pH 7.2). Further on, independent of the presence of phosphate the silica deposition was higher on S-layer lattices upon activation of their carboxyl groups with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) compared to native S-layers or EDC treated S-layers when the activated carboxyl groups were blocked with ethylene diamine (EDA). Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy revealed the formation of an amorphous silica gel (SiO₂)_x·yH₂O on the S-layer. The silica surface concentrations on the S-layer was 4 × 10^?9 to 2 × 10^?8 mol cm^?2 depending on the modification of the protein layer and corresponded to 4–21 monolayers of SiO₂.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence of titania nanoparticle arrays templated by block-copolymer thin films.

High-density arrays of titania nanoparticles were prepared using a polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PS-b-PEO) as a template and a titanium tetraisopropoxide based sol-gel precursor as titania source via a spin-coating method. The hydrophilic titania sol-gel precursor was selectively incorporated into hydrophilic PEO domains of PS-b-PEO and form titania nanoparticle arrays, due to a microphase separation between the PS block and the sol-gel/PEO phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images showed that the uniformity and long-range order of the titania/PEO domains improved with increasing sol-gel precursor amount. Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) results indicate that the ordered structures exist over large length scales. Titania nanocrystal arrays of anatase modification were obtained by calcination at 600 degrees C for 4 h. After calcination, separated particles were observed for low and medium amounts of sol-gel precursors. Films with higher precursor amounts showed wormlike structures due to the aggregation between neighboring particles. Removal of the polymer matrix via UV treatment leads to highly ordered arrays of amorphous titania while retaining the domain size and interparticle distance initially present in the hybrid films. Photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated for samples before and after calcination. The PL intensity increases with the increasing amount of sol-gel precursor. Bands at 412 nm were ascribed to self-trapped exitons and bands at 461 and 502 nm to oxygen vacancies, respectively. Uncalcined or UV-treated samples also showed PL properties similar to calcined samples, indicating that the local environment of the titanium atoms is similar to the environment of the crystalline anatase modification.     

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of titania hydrosols

0.0021–0.44 M TiO₂ hydrosols have been prepared by an ultrasound-assisted method using titania hydrogel precipitated from TiCl₄ solution. The hydrosols contain amorphous primary titania particles ～5 nm in size, combined into aggregations having average sizes of 22–51 nm.     

In vitro bioactivity of wollastonite–titania materials obtained by sol–gel method or solid state reaction

In order to obtain materials for bone tissue replacement and regeneration that show an appropriate bioactivity, antibacterial behavior and higher mechanical properties than those of the existing bioactive systems, titania–wollastonite materials were obtained by both solid state reaction and sol–gel methods. In the solid state reaction process, titania and wollastonite powders were mixed and sintered. Two different types of materials were obtained by sol–gel: (i) using titanium butoxide, calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and tetraethyl orthosilicate as precursors or (ii) mixing titanium butoxide with wollastonite powder. The in vitro bioactivity was assessed by immersing samples in simulated body fluids for different periods of time. Alamar blue assays and osteoblast-like cells were used for testing citotoxicity. A higher bioactivity was observed on the samples synthesized by sol–gel. However, a higher cell proliferation was observed on the samples obtained by solid state reaction.     

Template synthesis of titania on polysaccharides

Template synthesis of titania was conducted in solutions of polysaccharides, xanthan and sodium hyaluronan, prepared in ethylene glycol and on cellulose fibrils placed in ethylene glycol. The process was controlled by the addition of water in amounts sufficient only for the hydration of polysaccharides. When the precursor of TiO₂, tetra(isopropyl) orthotitanate, was added, the fast reactions of hydrolysis and condensation were triggered only after its contact with water, which provided the precipitation of titania on xanthan and sodium hyaluronan macromolecules or on cellulose fibrils. The morphology of the synthesized TiO₂ samples depended on the reagent concentrations in a reaction mixture. Amorphous titania was transformed by calcination into the crystalline state. Some of the obtained TiO₂ samples have rather high photocatalytic activity comparable to that of the commercial photocatalysts.     

A tri-block copolymer templated synthesis of gold nanostructures

Stable ultra-small gold nanoparticles have been synthesized in aqueous phase by using a tri-block copolymer (BMB) as a templating agent consisting of two PEG-methylacrylate chains (B blocks) anchored to a poly(methacrylic) moiety containing a trithiocarbonate unit (M block). The effect of the BMB/Au molar ratios on the final particle size, shape and monodispersity has been investigated. The synthesized nanosols have been characterized by means of Visible Absorption, Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Results clearly indicate that the polymer plays a key role in determining the size and shape of gold particles, from fractal-like structures to monodisperse spherical particles with a mean diameter of about 3 nm. The aggregation behavior of these nanostructures has been characterized both in solution (SAXS) as well as on mica substrate (AFM) and has been proven to be driven by the polymer to gold concentration ratio.     

Effect of thermal dehydration on surface characteristics of titania gel

The surface properties of titania gel and its thermal dehydration products were investigated by nitrogen and water vapour sorption between 110 and 600°C. Structural and phase changes were studied by X-ray diffractometry and differential thermal analysis. Up to 200°C, samples were X-ray amorphous and formed anatase at 300, 450 and 600°C. The glow phenomenon is attributed to the conversion to anatase at 350°C.Thermal dehydration of the gel between 110 and 300°C and 600°C led to the widening of the pore radii of the gel. At 450°C, marked steps appeared on the nitrogen isotherm, and was accompanied by a sharp increase in nitrogen uptake. The stepwise character is attributed to the presence of a certain porosity characteristic of the gel.Heats of immersion in water depend mainly on the hydrophilic centres on the surface, whereas heats of immersion in cyclohexane are controlled by the micropore fraction of the gel.     

Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite: micelle templated synthesis and characterization

Nanocrystalline calcium phosphate based inorganic, hydroxyapatite (HAp), was synthesized using the dodecyl phosphate micelle system. The surfactant concentration during synthesis played an important role on the final properties of these HAp nanoparticles. A surfactant concentration close to the critical micelle concentration produced the nanoparticles with the highest surface area, with porous less agglomerated morphology. Compacts made of these nanopowders showed between 97 and 98% theoretical density of phase-pure HAp and promoted cell-material interaction when cytotoxicity tests were performed.     

Efficient templated synthesis of donor-acceptor rotaxanes using click chemistry

The mild reaction conditions, remarkable functional group compatibility, and complete regioselectivity of the Cu-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition ("click chemistry") between organic azides and terminal alkynes have led to a threading-followed-by-stoppering approach to the synthesis of donor-acceptor rotaxanes incorporating cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) as the pi-accepting ring component. Rotaxane formation is initiated by reacting azide-functionalized pseudorotaxanes containing pi-donating 1,5-dioxynaphthalene (DNP) recognition units with appropriate alkyne-functionalized stoppers. The high yields obtained in this efficient, kinetically controlled post-assembly covalent modification, as well as the excellent convergence of the synthetic protocol, are demonstrated by the preparation of [2]-, [3]-, and [4]rotaxanes containing multiple DNP/CBPQT4+ donor-acceptor recognition motifs.     

Dual templated synthesis of silver acetylide cluster-encapsulated supramolecular boxes

A dual-templated approach for the controllable synthesis of metal cluster complexes is described. By using an acetylide-containing anion with specific geometry as a central template and a macrocyclic coordinative compound as a peripheral one, two multinuclear silver-acetylide cluster-encapsulated supramolecular boxes were synthesized.     

Three-dimensional nanocomposite metal dielectric materials on the basis of opal matrices

The microwave properties of 3D nanocomposites based on opal matrices containing one or two transition metal particles have been investigated. Phase analysis of the nanocomposites has been carried out. Magnetic field dependences of transmission and reflection coefficients were obtained. Magnetic resonance and antiresonance spectra have been reconstructed. Frequency dependences of resonance and antiresonance amplitude have been obtained. It has been found that the magnetic resonance amplitude of a nanocomposite containing particles of two metals is essentially higher than that of a nanocomposite with particles of one metal.     

Rodlike silica and titania objects templated on extremely dilute aqueous dispersions of self-assembled sodium lithocholate nanotubes

Simple methods for preparation of mesoporous rodlike silica and titania nanoobjects, some with exceedingly high aspect ratios, are described. They involve hydrolytic sol-gel processes using nanotubes from aqueous assemblies of very dilute (0.1 wt%) sodium lithocholate as templates. Shearing of the lithocholate nanotubes results in aligned, templated silica rods. The relative rates of lithocholate self-assembly and of polymerization of the titania precursors, especially, appear to be important factors in templating efficiency.     

Sol–gel routes for microporous zirconia and titania membranes

Zirconia and titania nanoparticle sols were prepared, using either ligand-based precursor stabilization or acid stabilization routes. These sols were used to prepare microporous coatings on γ-alumina substrates. The acetylacetonate-based particles have very small hydrodynamic diameters (1–2 nm), which lead to sol intrusion into the supports. As a result no appropriate membrane layer was formed. A microemulsion-based zirconia sol leads to a membrane that was selective in pervaporation dehydration of a water/n-butanol mixture. An optimized membrane showed stable separation performance for 120 days with a high selectivity toward water. Permporometry and gas permeation results on a titania membrane based on an acid-stabilized sol not only show microporosity, but also a significant contribution from defect flow.     

以钴-哒嗪阳离子为模板构筑的多酸基有机-无机杂化材料

利用水热方法合成了一种Keggin型多酸基有机无机杂化材料,化学式为(Hpydz)Na[Co(pydz)_4(H_2O)_2][SiW_(12)O_(40)]·3H_2O(pydz=pyridazine).单晶X-射线研究表明,在该化合物中,Keggin型多阴离子与钠离子连接构筑成三维孔状结构,其中钴-哒嗪阳离子有机基团作为客体分子,通过静电相互作用存在于三维孔道结构中,构筑成有机-无机杂化材料.该化合物属于单斜晶系,空间群为C_2/c,晶胞参数a=1.937 7(2)nm,b=1.678 8(2)nm,c=1.768 0(2)nm,α=90°,β=98.612(3)°,γ=90°,V=5.686 51nm~3.