Functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica in ion chromatography of alkali,alkaline earths,ammonium and transition metal ions

The retention properties of a SBA-15 mesoporous silica functionalized with –(CH₂)₃COOH groups, synthesized by a co-condensation route, were investigated for the ion chromatography of different cationic species. A systematic study on the effect of different eluent compositions containing non-complexing (methanesulfonic acid) or complexing (oxalic or pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acids) eluents, in the presence of organic modifiers (CH₃CN, CH₃OH, CH₃NH₂) on the retention of cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, NH₄⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Co²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe³⁺) chosen as model analytes and for their environmental importance, allowed us to elucidate the mechanisms (cation-exchange or complexation) involved in the retention on the SBA-15 phase. For the first time separations of cations on SBA-15 based stationary phases are investigated, providing the basis for further development of mesoporous silica chemistry for in-flow ion-exchange applications.     

Synthesis of Cu nanoparticles in mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized with carboxylic acid groups

In this study, the mesoporous silica SBA-15 materials containing carboxylic acid groups were used as an effective support to synthesize Cu nanoparticles. Various Cu loading levels from 4% to 13% on SBA-15 catalysts produced an average particle size of 2.8 to 3.1 nm, regardless of the Cu content.     

Effect of synthesis conditions on the mesoscopical order of mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized by amino groups

Mesoporous amine-functionalized SBA-15 silica has been synthesized directly by the co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) under acidic conditions with an APTMS/(APTMS + TEOS) molar ratio of 10%. The effect of synthesis conditions, including TEOS pre-hydrolysis, as well as the heating temperature and time, on the mesoscopical order and pore structure of the functionalized SBA-15 have been studied in detail by means of powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectra and solid state ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance. A functionalized SBA-15 silica with a highly ordered two-dimensional P6 mm hexagonal symmetry and a narrow pore size distribution centered at 6 nm can be obtained if TEOS is allowed to pre-hydrolyze for 2 h. For the sample with TEOS pre-hydrolysis time of 4 h, aging at 50°C or 150°C leads to a more ordered pore arrangement compared to 100°C and also a narrower pore size distribution with larger pore volume. Increasing aging time is in favor of the formation of mesoscopically ordered structure, but fails to obtain a superior pore structure.     

Base-catalyzed reactions enhanced by solid acids: Amine-catalyzed nitroaldol (Henry) reactions enhanced by silica gel or mesoporous silica SBA-15

The reactions of various aldehydes with CH₃NO₂ catalyzed by Et₃N, n-C₆H₁₃NH₂, and Me₂N(CH₂)₂NH₂ were accelerated by the addition of silica gel to give aromatic (aliphatic) β-nitroalcohols, aromatic nitroalkenes, and aromatic 1,3-dinitroalkanes, respectively. Mesoporous silica SBA-15 showed higher activity than silica gel for the synthesis of aromatic nitroalkenes by the reactions of the corresponding aldehydes with CH₃NO₂ catalyzed by n-C₆H₁₃NH₂.     

Synthesis of novel mesoporous silica spheres with starburst pore canal structure

Novel spherical mesoporous silica materials with uniform diameters and starburst mesopore structures were synthesized by a simple one-step procedure with ethanol as the co-solvent in dilute aqueous solution and their formation mechanism was proposed. The arrangement of the pore canal and the diameter of the sphere could be tailored by altering the concentration of ethanol.     

Mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized with phosphonate and amino groups for uranium uptake

Mesoporous silicas have a very attractive ability of sorption and enrichment of metal ions due to their huge surface area and facile functionalization by organic ligands.In this work,phosphonate-amino bifunctionalized mesoporous silica SBA-15(PA-SBA-15) as U(VI) sorbent was fabricated through post-grafting method.The obtained mesoporous silica was characterized by SEM,XRD,NMR and nitrogen sorption/desorption experiments,which revealed the existence of ordered mesoporous structure with uniform pore diameter and large surface area.The adsorptivity of PA-SBA-15 for U(VI) from aqueous solution was investigated using batch sorption technique under different experimental conditions.The preliminary results show that the U(VI) sorption by PA-SBA-15 is very quick with equilibrium time of less than 1 h,and the U(VI) uptake is as large as 373 mg/g at pH 5.5 under 95 ℃.The sorption isotherm has been successfully modeled by the Langmuir isotherm,suggesting a monolayer homogeneous sorption of U(VI) in PA-SBA-15.The sorption is pH-dependent due to the pH-dependent charge of sorbent in the aqueous solution.The thermodynamics research shows that the sorption is a feasible and endothermic process.Based on these results,PA-SBA-15 could be a promising solid phase sorbent for highly-efficient removal of U(VI) ions from waste water and enrichment of U(VI) from a solution at a very low level.     

Sequestration of CO2 using Cu nanoparticles supported on spherical and rod-shape mesoporous silica

The CO₂ sequestration is one of the most promising solutions to tackle global warming. In this study, spherical mesoporous silica particles (MPS-S) and rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles (MPS-R) loaded with Cu nanoparticles were selectively prepared and employed for CO₂ adsorption. For the first time uniform Cu nanoparticles were incorporated into the rod-shaped mesoporous silica particles by post-synthesis modification using both N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (PEDA) and ethylenediamine (EDA) as coupling agents. The physiochemical properties of the mesoporous and copper grifted silica composites were investigated by CHN elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface area analysis, scanning, transmission electron microscopy and gas analysis system (GSD 320, TERMO). The mesoporous silica shows highly ordered mesoporous structures, with the rod-shaped particles having a higher surface area than the spherical ones. Copper nanoparticles with an average diameter of 6.0 nm were uniformly incorporated into the MPS-S and MPS-R. Moreover, Cu-loaded mesoporous silica exhibits up to 40% higher CO₂ adsorption capacity than the bare MPS. The MPS-R modified with Cu nanoparticles showed a maximum CO₂ adsorption capacity of 0.62 mmol/g and the humidity showed a slight negative effect on CO₂ uptake process. The enhancement of CO₂ adsorption onto transition metal/mesoporous substrates provides basis for imminent CO₂ sequestration.     

Static and dynamic sorption study of heavy metal ions on amino-functionalized SBA-15

Amino-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica (SBA-15-NN) was synthesized using the normal grafting procedure of SBA-15 with [3-(2-Aminoethyl) aminopropyl] trimethoxysilane. Under optimal conditions, SBA-15-NN exhibited a higher adsorption capacity toward metal ions than SBA-15 in static adsorption. The results showed that the flow rate of 2?mL?min^?1 might be the optimum flow rate in dynamic adsorption, and the higher initial metal ion concentration is favorable for the adsorption of Zn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) onto SBA-15-NN. The results indicated that SBA-15-NN could effectively remove multiple metal ions from aqueous solution as a good adsorption material.     

Effect of amine functionalization of spherical MCM-41 and SBA-15 on controlled drug release

MCM-41 and SBA-15 silica materials with spherical morphology and different particle sizes were synthesized and modified by post-synthesis method with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). A comparative study of the adsorption and release of a model drug, ibuprofen, were carried out. The modified and drug loaded mesoporous materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, N₂ physisorption, thermal analysis, elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. Surface modification with amino groups resulted in high degree of ibuprofen loading and slow rate of release for MCM-41, whereas it was the opposite for SBA-15. The adsorbed drug content and the delivery rate can be predetermined by the choice of mesoporous material with the appropriate structural characteristics and surface functionality.     

Facile one-pot synthesis of PEGylated monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticles with controllable particle sizes

In this work, we describe the one-pot synthesis of PEGylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles （MSNs） with uniform shape, tunable sizes, and narrow size distributions. The size of these nanoparticles can be controlled from 49 nm to 98 nm by simply varying the concentration oftriethanolamine during the base- catalyzed sol-gel reaction. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements. These PEGylated MSNs exhibited excellent long-term stability in biological media, which ensures their potential applications in drug delivery.     

高效固体酸SBA-15-Zr(OTf)3催化胺或醇开环环氧化合物

通过简单的一锅两步法制备了三氟金属(铝,钛,锆)接枝介孔SBA-15 (AlTf/S,TiTf/S,ZrTf/S)固体酸材料,并通过XRD,N2吸附,TGA,FTIR,原位吡啶FTIR和元素分析对这些材料进行了详细的表征.其中,ZrTf/S能够高效催化环氧化物温和条件下被胺或醇开环生成对应β-氨基醇或β-烷氧基醇,并且催化剂能循环利用.ZrTf/S相较于AlTf/S和TiTf/S酸性最强,因而催化活性也最高.     

Ion-exclusion chromatography of carboxylic acids on silica gel modified with aluminium

The modification of silica gel with aluminium by a coating method was effective for the preparation of a silica-based stationary phase, which acted as a cation exchanger under strongly acidic conditions. In order to expand the utility of the laboratory-made aluminium-adsorbing silica gel it was applied as a stationary phase to the ion-exclusion chromatography of various carboxylic acids. Good separations for both aliphatic carboxylic acids and benzenecarboxylic acids with a hydrophobic nature under acidic eluent conditions were achieved in 25 min.     

Effect of synthesis time and treatment on porosity of mesoporous silica materials

Nitrogen adsorption at 77 K on mesoporous silica materials (MPS) with varying synthesis time and treatment conditions was investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also used to characterize the mesoporous materials. This study was performed at 6, 24 and 72-h synthesis times. It is shown that 6-h is not enough for complete formation of the MPS material and at least 24-h is necessary. The pore structure starts decaying for the 72-h synthesis time. The three-after-synthesis treatment conditions used were 1) washed, 2) washed and calcined and 3) directly calcined after synthesis. Ethanol/HCl mixtures were used for washing and calcinations were performed at 550°C. Among these samples, directly washed sample yields the lowest adsorption capacity while washed and calcined sample yields the highest adsorption capacity. Hence, it is concluded that washing stabilizes the structure before high temperature treatment.     

Synthesis of mesoporous silica materials with ascorbic acid as template via sol-gel process

Mesoporous silica materials with pore diameters of 2-5 nm have been prepared using ascorbic acid as a nonsurfactant template or pore-forming agent in HCl-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethylorthosilicate,followed by removing the ascorbic acid compound by extraction with ethanol.Characterization results from nitrogen sorption isotherm,powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicate that the materials have large specific surface areas (e.g.1000 m2/g) and pore volumes (e.g.0.8 cm3/g).The rnesoporosity is arisen from interconnecting disordered wormlike channels and pores with relatively broad size distributions.As the ascorbic acid concentration is increased,the pore diameters and pore volumes of the materials increase.     

Effects of Morphology and Structural Characteristics of Ordered SBA-15 Mesoporous Silica on Release of Ibuprofen

Three kinds of highly ordered SBA-15 mesoporous materials with different pore sizes and morphologies denoted as LPS-SBA-15 (stick-like with pore size 7.28 nm), CPS-SBA-15 (stick-like with pore size 5.96 nm) and T-SBA-15 (tablet-like with pore size 4.64 nm) have been prepared, characterized and employed as carrier materials. The release behaviors of the ibuprofen in a simulated body fluid from these mesoporous silica materials were studied. The influences of pore size and exterior morphologies of mesoporous silica on the release behaviors of ibuprofen have been investigated. It has been found that the release becomes fast with increasing of pore size and slow with extending of transport pathway, and that the release rate of ibuprofen from the three kinds of SBA-15 is LPS-SBA-15 > T-SBA-15 > CPS-SBA-15. The results show that the inner structure as well as the exterior morphologies of SBA-15 mesoporous silica can seriously affect the release behaviors of ibuprofen.     

Separation of noble metal ions on silica with chemically bonded ligands

The separation of noble metal ions was investigated by chemically bonded ligands based on the concept of hard and soft acids and bases according to Pearson; influences of ion pairing and chelating effects are discussed. Complexing groups containing oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur were immobilized on silica gel. Ag, Au, Ir, Os, Pd, Pt and Rh were adsorbed in the acidic range (pH 0 to pH 5) and eluted from the gel in the range from pH 0 to pH 7.5 avoiding formation of hydroxides and coprecipitation of the noble metals. The separation is dependent on the immobilized ligand, the pH-value of sorption and desorption and the eluent.     

Chemically modified silica gel for selective solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of heavy metal ions

This paper describes our research on the synthesis of the sorbent with chemically bonded ketoimine groups, and, furthermore, using this sorbent in the SPE technique to extract and preconcentrate trace amounts of metal ions in water samples. Surface characteristics of the sorbent were determined by elemental analysis, NMR spectra for the solid phases (²⁹Si CP MAS NMR), and analysis of pore size distribution of the sorbent and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The newly proposed sorbent with ketoimine groups was applied for the extraction and preconcentration of trace amounts of Cu (II), Cr (III) and Zn (II) ions from the water from a lake, post-industrial water and purified water unburdened back to the lake. The determination of the transition-metal ions was performed on an emission spectroscope with inductively coupled plasma ICP-OES. For the batch method, the optimum pH range for Cu (II) and Cr (III) extraction was equal to 5, and Zn(II)–to 8. All the metal ions can be desorbed from SPE columns with 10?mL of 0.5?mol?HNO₃. The detection limits of the method were found to be 0.7?µg?L^?1 for Cu (II), 0.08?µg?L^?1 for Cr (III), and 0.2?µg?L^?1 for Zn (II), respectively.     

Al3+离子介入提升（NH4）2SiF6对SBA-15介孔材料的水热稳定化作用

提出了一种(NH4)2SiF6处理提高SBA-15介孔材料水热稳定性的改良方法.采用SBA-15介孔材料中预引入Al3+离子,再进行1%SiO2计量的(NH4)2SiF6处理,最后用强酸洗脱预引入的Al3+.结果显示,由此处理的SBA-15材料,其水热稳定性明显优于相同条件下未预引入Al3+时(NH4)2SiF6处理的样品.两者在800°C、100%水蒸气处理12 h后,虽然均能很好保持其介观有序度、形貌及六方孔道结构,但前者的比表面积可高达271 m2/g,而后者仅为224 m2/g.表明Al3+离子介入能大幅度提升(NH4)2SiF6处理对SBA-15介孔材料的稳定化作用.这主要得益于预引入的骨架Al3+在保障(NH4)2SiF6处理修复SBA-15材料表面缺陷和进行表面疏水化、提升其水热稳定性的同时,能减缓(NH4)2SiF6释放的多余F-离子对SBA-15材料骨架的刻蚀破坏作用. Al3+离子介入的这种提升作用与其引入方式和SBA-15材料所经受的温度密切相关.     

Preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticle with tunable pore diameters for encapsulating and slowly releasing eugenol

Fragrances are frequently added to a variety of products, including food, cosmetics and health products. However, the high volatility and instability of essence limit its application in some fields. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared to encapsulate eugenol, which could reduce the volatilization of the fragrance molecules. A facile approach was presented to synthesize MSNs with three different pore diameters for encapsulating eugenol. In addition, the properties of MSNs including mean particle size, morphology, encapsulating efficiency and release tendency were characterized. Results showed that the larger the pore diameters of MSNs, the more aromatic molecules were adsorbed. Furthermore, the release mechanism was described as the smaller the pore diameters of MSNs, the slower the release of eugenol.     

Construction of a pH-responsive drug delivery platform based on the hybrid of mesoporous silica and chitosan

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) have been widely used for drug delivery due to their large specific surface area and excellent biocompatibility. However, the mesoporous structure of MSN would lead to the inevitable “premature release” of the drugs, and therefore the modification of MSN for controlled delivery seems to be a necessary step. Herein, chitosan (CS) was used for the surface functionalization of MSN via amidation reaction, and the introduced CS could function as a “gatekeeper” and the drug of methotrexate (MTX) might be encapsulated in the mesopores of MSN. As a result, the “premature release” of the encapsulated MTX could be effectively circumvented with the aid of the CS cap. More importantly, the drug delivery from the hybrid of MSN and CS (MSN/CS) can be endowed with pH-sensitivity by the introduction of CS because the amide bonding between CS and MSN is highly pH-sensitive. The cumulative release of MTX from the MSN/CS is more pronounced at pH 5.0 (80.86%) than those at pH 6.8 (40.46%) and pH 7.4 (18.25%).