Polymer-Modified Silica Adsorbent with Reversed-Phase and Weak Cation-Exchange Groups

Micro-spherical silica gel has been modified with a polymer containing two different functional groups (C₁₈ and COOH) by use of a copolymer of octadecyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate and introduction of maleic anhydride. The chromatographic properties of these stationary phases in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been studied over a broad pH range. Introduction of maleic anhydride as the third component of the polymer layer on the surface of micro-spherical silica leads to repartitioning of C₁₈ groups, which affects the hydrophobicity of the materials obtained. The presence of maleic anhydride secures the availability of carboxyl groups on the surface, and thus the acidic properties of the material.     

Membranes for gas separation based on poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne)–silica nanocomposites

Nanocomposite membranes based on poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP) and silica were synthesized by sol–gel copolymerization of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with different organoalkoxysilanes in tetrahydrofuran solutions of PTMSP. The influence of the synthesis parameters (type and concentration of organoalkoxysilanes, temperature and time) on the silica conversion and the gas permeation performance of PTMSP–silica nanocomposite membranes was investigated and discussed in this paper. The nanocomposite membranes were characterized by single and mixed gas permeation, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The butane permeability and the butane/methane selectivity increased simultaneously when high silica conversion was obtained and the size of particle was in the range 20–40 nm. For the sake of comparison, nanocomposite membranes based on PTMSP were also prepared by dispersing silica particles with different functional groups into the PTMSP casting solution. The addition of fillers to the polymer matrix can be performed up to a higher content of silica (30% silica-filled PTMSP in contrast to 6 wt.% for the in situ-generated silica). In this case, the simultaneous increase in butane permeability and butane/methane selectivity was significantly higher when compared to the nanocomposite membranes prepared by sol–gel process. The addition of fillers with 50% of surface modification with hydrophobic groups (Si–C₈H₁₇ and Si–C₁₆H₃₃) seems not to lead to a significant increase of the butane/methane selectivity and butane permeability when compared to the silica with hydrophilic surface groups, probably because of the unfavorable polymer/filler interaction, leading to an agglomeration of the long n-alkyl groups at the surface of the polymer. An increase of butane permeability up to six-fold of unfilled polymer was obtained.     

New procedure of silica gel surface modification preparation of gaseous standard mixtures for calibration purposes

The new type of silica gel surface modification with using the trimethylamine as a reagent is described. The samples of chemically modified silica gel have been used for generation of gaseous standard mixtures (methyl chloride as a measurand) using the technique of thermal decomposition of the surface compound. The main aim of the research was to check the suitability of the new type of silica gel surface modification for obtaining methyl chloride as a measurand of gaseous standard mixture. The gaseous standard mixture obtained with using this technique was used for calibration of a thermal desorber-gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (TD-GC-FID) system. The homogeneity of coverage of silica gel surface with the immobilized compound has been evaluated. The full uncertainty budget of determination of liberated amount of methyl chloride has been calculated. The average amount of methyl chloride liberated from the unit sample of chemically modified silica gel is 3.59 +/- 0.13 mg g(-1). The influence of the modification way on the amount of liberated analyte has also been determined.     

Precipitated silica as filler for polymer electrolyte based on poly(acrylonitrile)/sulfolane

The aim of the present work was to perform a preliminary study of the physicochemical properties of hybrid organic–inorganic gel electrolytes for Li-ion batteries based on the PAN/TMS - poly(acrylonitrile)/sulfolane - polymeric matrix and surface-modified precipitated silicas. Modifications were done by means of the so-called dry method using silane U-511 3-methacryloxypropyltrimetoxysilane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), noninvasive back scattering method (NIBS), specific surface area (BET), the degree of modification of the silica fillers—Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), impedance analysis, and charging/discharging were carried out. It is found that the silica fillers were homogeneously dispersed in the polymeric matrix, which enhanced conductivity and electrochemical stability of porous polymer electrolytes. Applicability of the prepared gel electrolytes for the Li-ion technology was estimated on the basis of specific conductivity measurements. It was shown that modification of the silica surface by the silane causes an increase in the gel-specific conductivity by about 2 orders of magnitude as compared to gel with unmodified silica.     

Changes in the pore character of silicas caused by surface bonding and polymer coating

The pore character of packings for liquid chromatography, especially reversed-phase (RPLC) packings, has been studied by means of the nitrogen adsorption method (BET method). Micro-spherical silica gels with 9, 12, 30, 40 and 50 nm average pore diameter have been used as carriers. These silica gels have been modified with monochlorodimethyloctadecylsilane and several polymers (polyoctadecylmethacrylate-methylmethacrylate co-polymer, polyacrylamide gel, polyvinyl alcohol, poly-2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate). A larger decrease in the specific surface area values was observed in the case of the polymer coating with the polyoctadecylmethacrylate-methylmethacrylate co-polymer compared with the derivatization by silanes or the modification with polymers without C18-groups. A new approach has been suggested to explain some questions concerning the interpretation of the data obtained during the measurements of the pore characteristics of the derivatized packings. An attempt has been made to reveal peculiarities connecting values of the measured surface of RP-packings with the specific surface area values of the initial silica, as well as with the chromatographically accessible surface.     

Effects of the degree of surface modification on the rheological responses of precipitated silica suspensions in benzyl alcohol

Two types of precipitated silica powders modified by poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were suspended in benzyl alcohol and their rheological properties were investigated as a function of silica volume fraction, φ. The suspensions were classified into sol, pre-gel, and gel states based on the increase in φ. An increase in the degree of surface modification by PDMS caused gelation at higher φ. Plots of apparent shear viscosity against shear rate in the sol and pre-gel states of highly modified silica suspensions showed weak shear thickening behavior, while the same plots for silica suspensions with a low modification level exhibited shear thinning behavior. The dynamic moduli of hydrophobic suspensions in the pre-gel and gel states were dependent on the surface modification: the storage modulus G′ was larger than the loss modulus G″ in the linear region and these moduli increased with increasing φ, irrespective of the silica powder. The linear region of the φ range for the precipitated silica suspensions was wider than that for the fumed silica powders modified by PDMS suspended in benzyl alcohol, while the G′ value in the linear region for the precipitated silica suspensions was less than those for the fumed silica suspensions.     

Synthesis of novel fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids possessing antibacterial activity

New fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids‐low‐molecular weight biocide (hibitane) composites were prepared by the reactions of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer, N,N‐dimethylacrylamide oligomers, and acrylic acid oligomers in methanol under acidic conditions at room temperature. The presence of hibitane in the composites was clarified by the use of elementary analyses of nitrogen in fluorinated acrylic acid oligomer composite and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of these fluorinated composites. Thermal stability of fluorinated composites thus obtained were found to increase significantly compared to those of the parent fluorinated oligomers. Thermal stability of fluorinated N,N‐dimethylacrylamide oligomer, acrylic acid oligomer/silica gel polymers hybrid‐hibitane composites decreased compared to those of the corresponding fluorinated oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids; however, the thermal stability of fluorinated N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutylacryl)amide oligomer/silica gel polymer hybrid‐hibitane composite increased significantly compared to that of the corresponding fluorinated oligomer hybrid. The sol methanol solutions of these fluorinated composites were applied to the surface modification of glass to exhibit not only a strong oleophobicity imparted by end‐capped fluoroalkyl groups in oligomers but also a good hydrophilicity on the glass surface. Fluorinated oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids‐hibitane composites were found to exhibit high anti‐bacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, these fluorinated hibitane composites are suggested to have high potential for new attractive functional materials through not only their excellent surface active property imparted by fluorine and their thermal stability but also through their anti‐bacterial activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of a novel silica-supported sol–gel sorbent prepared by a surface molecular imprinting technique for the selective separation of estazolam from human plasma

A molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) based on surface modification of silica gel was prepared via the sol–gel process with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and phenyltrimethoxysilane as functional monomers, and estazolam as the template. The imprinted silica sorbent was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, surface elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An MIP of agglomerated nano-particles with multi-pores was grafted onto the surface of the silica gel after hydrolytic condensation of the siloxane. The imprinted silica sorbent was used for solid phase extraction (SPE). Using water as loading solvent, the extraction efficiency for estazolam was higher compared to the use of an organic solvent. The imprinted silica sorbent was selective not only for the template, but also for the analogue. Compared to C₁₈-SPE and liquid–liquid extraction, the MIP-SPE was the most feasible technique for extraction of estazolam from human plasma; up to 98.7?±?1.2% recovery was achieved.     

硅胶表面扑灭津分子印迹材料的制备及性能表征

以扑灭津为模板分子,在甲苯溶液中经三步反应合成了基于硅胶表面修饰的分子印迹聚合物,并探讨了聚合物制备工艺,验证了聚合物的结构。红外1726cm-1指认印迹膜中的羰基特征峰,元素分析表明印迹材料含碳量18%,N2吸附实验表征印迹膜厚度为0.3nm。应用高效液相色谱-质谱考察了扑灭津和其它3种三嗪农药水溶液中的竞争吸附特性。研究表明:本法制备的表面印迹材料对4种三嗪类农药的吸附均优于参比材料。     

Effect of chemical modification on carbon dioxide adsorption property of mesoporous silica

Three adsorbents were prepared by different modification methods, which were grafting silica gel with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane, grafting silica gel with acrylamide polymer, and impregnating silica gel with acrylamide polymer, respectively. The characterization of materials was carried out by N(2) adsorption experiments, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and elemental analyses. The results showed that the amine group was successfully loaded on all three modified adsorbents; among that, the polymer-modified silica adsorbents had higher amine content and larger surface area than the aminopropyl-grafted silica adsorbent and displayed higher thermal stability than the other polymer-modified silica materials previously reported. The CO(2) adsorption/desorption experiments performed at 25°C by TGA-DSC method showed that the highest CO(2) adsorption capacity (0.98 mmol/g) was observed for the polymer-impregnated silica adsorbent. CO(2) adsorbed on all samples was completely desorbed by purging with inert gas at 60°C except for the aminopropyl-grafted silica material, which showed the highest enthalpy of CO(2) adsorption.     

Radiation effect on polystyrene deposited and grafted on silica gel

The effect of radiation on polystyrene was studied in the presence and absence of silica gel by molecular weight measurement with GPC. Polystyrene crosslinked under vacuum in the absence of silica gel, but it either crosslinked or degraded by radiation, depending on the molecular weight of the polymer in the presence of silica gel. Part of the deposited polymer bonded to silica gel by radiation; the G value for graft-chain formation is in the range of 0.01–0.1. Irradiation of polystyrene grafted on silica gel resulted in degradation of the graft chain because of the transfer of energy from silica gel. The G value for main chain scission was about 2 when graft polymer was irradiated in the absence of homopolymer. The degradation of graft polymer was suppressed when the polymer was irradiated in the presence of homopolymer, and the amount of unextractable polymer from silica gel increased with increasing irradiation. This adds evidence to the estimation that an increase in grafting percent coupled with a slight decrease in molecular weight at a later stage of radiation-induced polymerization of styrene adsorbed on silica gel is due to a secondary effect of radiation on the polymer.     

Controlled post‐synthesis grafting of thermoresponsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) on mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with pore diameter of 5 nm were synthesized by modification of the sol‐gel synthesis method. Post‐synthesis two‐step grafting of thermoresponsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) inside the mesopores of the nanoparticles was carried out by distillation–precipitation polymerization of the methacryloxy‐functionalized mesoporous nanoparticles with N‐isopropylacrylamide monomer. A precise control on the quantity of the grafted polymer was achieved by changing the ratio of monomer to methacryloxy‐functionalized nanoparticles. The polymer‐grafted hybrid nanoparticles obtained were fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, thermal, and gas‐volumetric analyses, which clearly showed presence and thermoresponsive behavior of the polymer inside the mesopores with the preservation of the characteristic mesoporous structure of the nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal behaviour of poly(dimethylsiloxane) hybrid silicas prepared by radiation grafting

This paper reports our investigation regarding the thermal properties of new polymer-silica hybrid materials obtained by radiation grafting. The polymer poly(dimethylsiloxane),bis(3-aminopropyl)terminated is γ-grafted on a silica gel surface. The thermal behaviour of γ-grafted hybrid materials reveals remarkable differences compared to the thermal behaviour of physically adsorbed polymers. These differences allow us to assess the ability of γ-rays to produce a polymer chemically bonded on a silica surface. The chemical bonds formed by irradiation give to the polymer a high conformational stability confirmed by DTA analysis.     

Novel fabrication of Janus particles from the surfaces of electrospun polymer fibers

A novel synthetic approach for the efficient fabrication of Janus silica particles was demonstrated by embedment of zero-dimensional colloids on one-dimensional polymer fiber surfaces, followed by the surface modification on the exposed silica hemispheres. Electrospinning of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(4-vinyl pyridine) blends produced polymer fibers with high specific surface area and desired surface hydrophilicities. Fiber compositions determined the colloid adsorption density and uniformity. The colloid embedding resulted from the polymer softening was manipulated by the isothermal heat treatment. Subsequent silianization completed the amino functionalities on hemispherical surfaces of embedded silica colloids. Janus particles with uniform asymmetric chemical features were further labeled with gold nanoparticles before their recovery from fiber substrates. Fabrication of Janus particles, including colloid adsorption, temperature-driven embedding, and hemispherical surface modification, were investigated and are discussed.     

Effect of support nature on the efficiency of the chemisorption preconcentration of aromatic amines from air

The effect of silica gel-modifying additives on the efficiency of the chemisorption preconcentration of aniline, o-toluidine, and N,N-dimethylaniline as 5,7-dinitrobenzofurazan derivatives from atmospheric air was studied by HPLC. The recovery exhibited a maximum on unmodified silica gel, and the recovery of N,N-dimethylaniline was lower than that of primary aromatic amines. This is likely due to a decrease in the possibility of π-complex formation between an aromatic amine and silica gel after the chemical modification of the adsorbent surface. The formation of a π-complex will increase the rate of reaction between an aromatic amine and an electrophilic reagent.     

Fabrication and characterization of superhydrophobic silica nanotrees

Superhydrophobic silica nanotrees were obtained by sol–gel method with hybrid silica sol and jelly-like resorcinol formaldehyde resin. Rough surfaces were obtained by removing the organic polymer at high temperature. After the films with rough surface were modified by trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS), the wettability of the film changed from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. The surface roughness of the silica nanotrees film is about 20 nm, and it is transparent and superhydrophobic with a water contact angle higher than 150°.     

Liquid chromatography on carbosilochrom and carbosilica gel-silica adsorbents with a modified carbon surface

Summary The silica adsorbent Silochrom C-120 which is homogeneous, macroporous and thermally stable, and Spherisorb S20W which is a wide-pore silica gel have been modified by the deposition on them of carbon formed by the pyrolysis of benzene. The adsorbent structures before and after modification have been studied. Columns packed with the Carbosilochrom and Carbosilica gel so obtained were used for studies of their selectivity in the liquid chromatography of an homologous series of polymethyl-and monoalkylsubstituted benzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, methylphenols and benzoic esters on elution with solutions of methanol + water of different concentrations. An increase in the amount of carbon deposited on the adsorbent and an increase in solvent polarity results in an increase in adsorbent selectivity. In the case of polymethylsubstituted benzenes this increase is greater than in the case of isomeric monoalkylsubstituted benzenes. For phenols this increase is less than that for the corresponding hydrocarbons. The separating power of the column can be controlled by changing the degree of specificity of the carbosilica and the polarity of the eluent.     

Organic Polymer-Silica Gel Hybrid: A Precursor of Highly Porous Silica Gel

In this article I describe two of our discoveries. The first is the preparation of a transparent solid material composed of an organic polymer and silica gel. A novel material called a “hybrid” has successfully been prepared by the sol-gel reaction of ethyl orthosilicate in the presence of an organic polymer consisting of repeating units having an N-alkylamide group. The molecular-level dispersion of the organic polymer in the framework of silica gel has been established, which is due to the hydrogen-bond interaction between the organic polymer and silanol group of silica gel. The second discovery is the preparation of porous silica gel, which has been achieved by calcination of the organic polymer-silica gel hybrid at 600°C. Pore sizes ranging from 10 to 20 Å have been attained. A method of controlling pore size has been proposed.     

New stationary phases for normal-phase HPLC based on silica gel modified with cobalt,nickel, zinc,and cadmium salts

Several new stationary phases for normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography were synthesized by the modification of silica gel with cobalt, nickel, zinc, and cadmium salts and subsequent calcination at 700°C. These sorbents exhibit an increase in the retention of organic compounds of the basic character, an increase in the selectivity of separation, and an eightfold increase in efficiency in comparison with initial silica gel. The experimental results were explained on the basis of the interpretation of the IR spectra of pyridine adsorbed on the synthesized and initial silica gel. It was demonstrated that the surface of silica gel modified with cadmium ions exhibits the highest acidity. The advantage of the synthesized sorbents was demonstrated with the example of the separation of fullerenes containing diethylamino and hydroxy groups.__________Translated from Zhurnal Analiticheskoi Khimii, Vol. 60, No. 4, 2005, pp. 412–416.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Pirogov, Kuzavlev, Shpigun.     

Synthesis of gold functionalized poly-bisvinylethyleneurea/silica hybrid materials

Novel gold/poly-(1,3-divinyl-imidazolid-2-one)/silica [poly-bisvinylethyleneurea (poly-BVU)/silica)] hybrid particles have been produced by adsorption and spontaneously occurring in situ reduction of Au(3+) cations on the surface of poly-BVU/silica hybrid particles. The successful functionalization of the poly-BVU/silica particles with gold nanoclusters has been evidenced by UV/vis and XPS spectroscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. The size of the resulting gold clusters, estimated by means of the Mie-Drude theory on the full peak width at half-maximum of the surface plasmon UV/vis absorbance, correlates with the polymer content of the poly-BVU/silica hybrid particles used for the modification. Therefore, it is possible to control the size of the gold clusters simply by adjusting the monomer/silica ratio in the polymerization process, which corresponds with the polymer content of the hybrids.