Controllable synthesis of highly crystallized mesoporous TiO_2/WO_3 heterojunctions for acetone gas sensing

Mesoporous semiconducting metal oxides(SMOs) heterojunctions are appealing sensors for gas detecting.However,due to the different hydrolysis and condensation mechanism of every metal precursor and the contradiction between high crystallinity and high surface area,the synthesis of mesoporous SMOs heterojunctions with highly o rdered mesostructures,highly crystallized frameworks,and high surface area remains a huge challenge.In this work,we develop a novel "acid-base pair"adjusted solvent evaporation induced self-assembly(EISA) strategy to prepare highly crystallized ordered mesoporous TiO_2/WO_3(OM-TiO_2/WO_3) heterojunctions.The WCl_6 and titanium isopropoxide(TIPO) are used as the precursors,respectively,which function as the "acid-base pair",enabling the coassembly with the structure directing agent(PEO-b-PS) into highly ordered meso structures.In addition,PEO-b-PS can be converted to rigid carbon which can protect the meso structures from collapse during the crystallization process.The resultant OM-TiO_2/WO_3 heterojunctions possess primitive cubic mesostructures,large pore size(～21.1 nm),highly crystalline frameworks and surface area(～98 m~2/g).As a sensor for acetone,the obtained OM-TiO_2/WO_3 show excellent re sponse/recovery perfo rmance(3 s/5 s),good linear dependence,repeatability,selectivity,and long-term stability(35 days).     

Adsorption of xylene isomers on ordered hexagonal mesoporous FDU-15 polymer and carbon materials

The oil industry has been facing the challenges of separation of xylene isomers, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene or removing them from the environment. In our present work, we investigated the adsorption of the three isomers on two mesoporous materials, FDU-15-350 polymer and FDU-15-900 carbon materials. The isomer adsorption capacities are well correlated with their physical pore properties. It is found that the micropores are very crucial for the adsorption of these three isomers. The more micropore volume the adsorbent has, the better the adsorption capacity is. Henry’s constants were also calculated for the three isomers on the two adsorbents. Both on FDU-15-350 polymer and FDU-15-900, the Henry’s constants for the three isomers show the same trend o>m>p xylene which is coincidently in accordance with their polarity trend, indicating more polar adsorbate is preferred for adsorption on the two adsorbents. The isosteric heats of adsorption are correlated with the microporosity and the size of the adsorbate molecule. More microporosity and smaller molecules give higher heats of adsorption. Extracted information on pore properties of adsorbents by using the three isomers has very similar results as that resolved from nitrogen adsorption, indicating the feasibility of using the three isomers as adsorbates to extract pore information. This work is devoted to commemorating the 60th birthday of Professor Mieczyslaw (Mietek) Jaroniec.     

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.     

尺寸可控、高热稳定性有序介孔碳Au催化剂的合成

纳米Au催化剂被认为是具有商业价值的用于醇选择氧化的第二代催化剂.这是因为Au氧化还原电势高,化学稳定性好,可抑制易使Pt族元素中毒的胺等的毒化;其次,对于一些特定选择氧化和还原反应而言,具有较优的反应选择性.目前较多的研究集中在调变Au纳米颗粒与氧化物载体的相互作用,获得协同效应.例如,利用CeO2纳米晶为载体,沉积Au纳米颗粒(约3 nm),使CeO2部分还原为非计量比的催化材料,活化氧并获得高选择氧化性能.碳是相对惰性的载体,与Au相互作用力弱,因此可被用于研究Au纳米颗粒本征催化性能.但负载碳金催化剂在焙烧甚至还原过程中易团聚,且在反应中易流失,可能导致活性下降.利用胶体沉积法可获得介孔碳担载纳米Au催化剂,对葡萄糖选择氧化具有很高的催化活性和选择性.但是,制备中使用的保护剂残留经常被忽略.由于立体效应或电子结构调变作用,保护剂可能影响Au催化剂活性或稳定性.我们前期建立了反应单体参与的自组装技术合成功能化介孔碳路线,一步在介孔碳骨架中掺杂氧化物纳米催化剂.本文从介孔催化材料的结构出发,设计“镶嵌”在碳骨架中的纳米Au颗粒.采用配位作用辅助表面活性剂自组装技术,以苯酚和甲醛为碳前体,引入含巯基硅烷偶联剂,通过配位作用稳定金离子,获得尺寸可控介孔碳限域纳米Au催化剂.低温炭化中,由于巯基-金的配位作用阻抑金属移动或团聚,高温下聚合物炭化为相对刚性的碳骨架.此时,Au纳米颗粒被相邻介孔孔墙限制.硅烷偶联剂可除去,不影响碳载体,并可产生丰富二级孔道,获得多级孔道介孔碳材料.X射线衍射和透射电镜结果显示,所合成的催化剂中Au颗粒的尺寸可控,为3-18nm,且具有单分散性,均匀地分散在整个介孔碳骨架中,其含量为1.1-9.0 wt％.金碳催化剂具有有序的二维六方介孔结构.能量散射谱(EDX)也证明了催化剂只含有C,O和Au元素,没有S和Si元素的残留.X射线光电子能谱(XPS)结果显示催化剂表面的Au含量远远低于ICP的测试结果,也证明了Au纳米颗粒分布在介孔碳骨架内,同时只含有C,O和Au元素也与EDX相符.X射线近边吸收谱结果表明,随着颗粒尺寸的减小,Au表面电子性质发生改变.N2吸脱附等温线显示,有序介孔碳金催化剂具有典型的第Ⅳ型曲线,说明孔径分布范围较窄,主孔道尺寸为3.4-5.7 nm.值得注意的是,低压力段吸附量显示明显突跃,暗示其具有一套约为2 nm的次级介孔.所有的催化剂都具有高的比表面积(1269-1743 m2/g)和大的孔体积(0.79-1.38 cm3/g).Au纳米颗粒具有高的热稳定性,在惰性气氛中,即使在600℃也未见明显聚集长大.进一步讨论了合成中影响金纳米颗粒尺寸的重要影响因素.(1)巯基含量:通过调节巯基组分的含量,可以调控催化剂中Au纳米颗粒的尺寸(9-18 nm).需要强调的是,Au纳米颗粒尺寸与巯基在新合成材料中的浓度有关,当巯基含量在所研究的范围中时(1.55-3.06 mmol/g),Au纳米颗粒尺寸仅仅与巯基浓度有关,而与Au浓度无关.(2)硫酸预炭化处理:新合成的材料经过一步硫酸预炭化处理,可以得到尺寸为3 nm的有序介孔碳金催化剂.表征结果证明,经过硫酸预碳化处理,大量表面活性剂被除去,同时聚合物载体发生部分碳化,有助于在后续高温炭化中保护3 nm金颗粒不团聚.尺寸可控、高热稳定性、无配体保护的有序介孔碳负载Au催化剂有望应用在催化和传感器等领域.     

Facile synthesis of ordered magnetic mesoporous gamma-Fe2O3/SiO2 nanocomposites with diverse mesostructures

On the basis of a sol–gel process, a facile, low cost, and one-step approach for preparing ordered magnetic mesoporous γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ nanocomposites by an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) approach is presented. Various mesostructured silica materials (P6mm or Im3m) incorporated with different amounts of iron oxide (n_Si/n_Fe=9/1, 8/2, 7/3, respectively) were synthesized and characterized by XRD, TEM, N₂-sorption analyses, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The HCl-leaching experiments together with TEM micrographs and nitrogen sorption analysis suggested that most of the γ-Fe₂O₃ domains of several nanometers were embedded in the silica walls, rather than dispersed in the mesopores, which could cause the significant pore clogging reported in some studies. The release behaviors of lysozyme from these magnetic porous nanocomposites were investigated for the possible application of drug targeting and control release. The influence of iron precursors was also studied and a possible mechanism was proposed. The hydrolysis of Fe³⁺ ions under weakly acidic conditions and the induced formation of SiOFe bonds may account for the synthesis of this kind of nanocomposite. These multifunctional nanostructured materials would have a wide range of applications in toxin removal, catalysis, waste remediation, and biological separation as well as novel drug-carrier technologies.     

Non-surfactant synthesis of mesoporous silica with dye as template

A novel non-suffactant method was described to synthesize mesoporous silica using dye basic fuchsin as template.Chemical reactions were introduced into the formation of mesopores rather than the weak electrostatic or hydrogen-bonding interactions in the traditional surfactant routes.The reactant composition was found to be crucial to the pore structure of objective product.The formation mechanism of mesopore was also proved.     

The characteristics of highly ordered mesoporous carbons as electrode material for electrochemical sensing as compared with carbon nanotubes

In this paper, the unique properties of highly ordered mesoporous carbons modified glassy carbon electrode (OMCs/GE) are illustrated from comparison with carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (CNTs/GE) for the electrochemical sensing applications. Electrochemical behaviors of eight kinds of inorganic and organic electroactive compounds were studied at OMCs/GE, which shows more favorable electron transfer kinetics than that at CNTs/GE. Especially, OMCs/GE exhibits remarkably strong and stable electrocatalytic response toward NADH compared with CNTs/GE. The ability of OMCs to promote electron transfer not only provides a new platform for the development of dehydrogenase-based bioelectrochemical devices, but also indicates a potential of OMCs in a wide range of sensing applications. OMCs prepared are the novel carbon electrode materials, exhibiting more favorable electrochemical reactivity than CNTs for the wide electrochemical sensing applications without pretreatments, while purification or end-opening processing was usually required in case of CNTs.     

MCM-41 mesoporous material modified carbon paste electrode for the determination of cardiac troponin I by anodic stripping voltammetry

An anodic stripping voltammetric method for the determination of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) at a MCM-41 mesoporous material modified carbon paste electrode (MCM-MCPE) was investigated. The test was based on the dual monoclonal antibody “sandwich” principle using colloidal gold as a labeled substrate. Four main steps were carried out to obtain the analytical signal, i.e. electrode preparation, immunoreaction, silver enhancement, and anodic stripping voltammetric detection. The anodic stripping peak current increased linearly with the concentration of cTnI over the range of 0.8-5.0 ng/ml. A detection limit of 0.5 ng/ml was obtained. The established method was applied to detect cTnI in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) samples using routine enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) for comparison analysis, and good results were obtained.     

Bicontinuous gyroidal mesoporous carbon matrix for facilitating protein electrochemical and bioelectrocatalytic performances

A strategy of protein-entrapment in bicontinuous gyroidal mesoporous carbon (BGMC) nanocomposite films is described. Herein, the quasi-reversible electron transfer of redox proteins (such as glucose oxidase and myoglobin) is probed and the associated biocatalytic activity is revealed. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant of the immobilized glucose oxidase is up to 9.4 s⁻¹, much larger than those in carbon nanotubes and some conventional mesoporous carbons. The BGMC based glucose biosensor enables the determination of glucose at a potential of 0.6 V (vs. SCE). Its detection limit is 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N = 3), the linear response is up to 7.49 mM and the detection sensitivity is 52.5 nA mM⁻¹ Furthermore, a series of BGMCs with different pore sizes is designed and synthesized using sucrose or phenol formaldehyde resin to study the influences of pore sizes and carbon sources on the immobilization of redox proteins and on the heterogeneous electron transfer.     

Facile synthesis of mesoporous WO3@graphene aerogel nanocomposites for low-temperature acetone sensing

Nanocomposites constructed by combining mesoporous metal oxides and graphene have received tremendous attention in wide fields of catalysis,energy storage and conversion,gas sensing and so on.Herein,we present a facile interface-induced co-assembly process to synthesize the mesoporous W03@graphene aerogel nanocomposites(denoted as mW03@GA),in which graphene aerogel(GA) was used as a macroporous substrate,mesoporous W03 was uniformly coated on both sides of graphene sheets through a solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly(EISA) strategy using diblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene(PEO-b-PS) as a template.The resultant mW03@GA nanocomposites possess well-interconnected macroporous graphene networks covered by mesoporous W03 layer with a uniform pore size of 19 nm,high surface area of 167 m~2/g and large pore volume of 0.26 cm~3/g.The gas sensing performance of mW03@GA nanocomposites toward acetone and other gases was studied,showing a high selectivity and great response to acetone at low temperature of 150℃,which could be developed as a promising candidate as novel sensors for VOCs detection.     

Facile synthesis of mesoporous WO3@graphene aerogel nanocomposites for low-temperature acetone sensing

Ordered mesoporous tungsten oxide@graphene aerogel (mWO3@GA) nanocomposites were synthesized via an interface-induced co-assembly process, which show a high selectivity and great response to acetone at low temperature.     

Boosting sodium storage of mesoporous TiO2 nanostructure regulated by carbon quantum dots

It has been demonstrated that the conductivity and electrochemical properties of TiO2 nanomate rials can be significantly improved by an incorporation of carbon additives.In the study,we develop a novel Ndoped TiO2 mesoporous nanostructure via the addition of carbon quantum dots(CQDs)solution following a scalable hydrothermal process.The as-made TiO2 product shows well-defined morphology,high conductivity,large surface area,and abundant mesopores.When evaluated as anodes for sodiumion batteries,the CQDs@TiO2 product annealed at 500℃exhibits a superior sodium storage capability.It delivers a high reversible capacity of 168.8 mAh/g at 100 mA/g over 500 cycles and long cycling stability.The remarkable performance of CQDs@TiO2 mainly arises from the large surface area and mesoporous architecture constructed by ultrathin TiO2 nanosheets,as well as the full coope ration between CQDs and TiO2.     

Carbon layer-coated ordered mesoporous silica supported Co-based catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis: The role of carbon source

Surface chemical properties of supports have an important influence on active sites and their catalytic behavio r.Here,we fabricated a series of cobalt-based catalysts supported by carbon layer-coated ordered mesoporous silica(OMS) composites for higher alcohol synthesis(HAS).The carbon layers were derived from different sources and uniformly coated on the porous surface of OMS.Combined with the characterization results of carbonized catalysts,it is demonstrated that the carbon layer-coated supports significantly enhanced the metal dispersion and increased the ratio of Co2+ to Co0 sites,which further increased the CO conversion and alcohols selectivity.Moreover,it is found that the catalytic activity changed in line with the amount of defects and surface oxygenic groups of carbon layers,which re sulted from the different carbon sources.The highest space time yield of C2+OH was 27.5 mmol gcat-1h-1)obtained by the catalyst coated with glucose-derived carbon layer.But the carbon source is not the key factor influencing the distribution of Co-Co2+ dual sites and shows little effect on selectivity in HAS.These results may guide for further design of carbon supported catalysts.     

High benzene selectivity of mesoporous silicate for BTX gas sensing microfluidic devices

The gas selectivities of highly ordered mesoporous silicates and commercially-obtained porous silicates with respect to benzene, toluene and xylene were studied. After studying the porosities, pore uniformities, and surface silanol structures of the silicates and their relationships to gas selectivity in detail, we found that we could achieve high benzene selectivity by controlling the micropore size (less than 1 nm). Concluding that mesoporous silicate has a suitable micropore size and structure for benzene selectivity, we also observed that mesoporous silicate SBA-16 exhibited a high (>6) benzene selectivity from toluene and xylene even in a pseudo-atmospheric environment. A benzene detection limit of about 100 ppb was achieved by introducing SBA-16 into a microfluidic device originally developed for the separate detection of benzene, toluene, and xylene gases.     

Synthesis and characterisation of Ag-nanoparticles immobilised on ordered mesoporous carbon as an efficient sensing platform: application to electrocatalytic determination of hydrazine

In this study, a new strategy for the preparation of a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) based on a novel nano-sensing layer for the electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine was suggested. The suggested nano-sensing layer was prepared with the immobilisation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on ordered mesoporous carbon. The morphology and properties of the prepared nanocomposite on the surface of GCE were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption-desorption, X-ray powder diffraction and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical response characteristics of the modified electrode towards the target analyte were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Under optimal experimental conditions, the suggested modified GCE showed excellent catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of hydrazine (pH = 7.5) with a significant increase in anodic peak currents in comparison with the unmodified GCE. By differential pulse voltammetry and amperometric methods, the suggested sensor demonstrated wide dynamic concentration ranges of 0.08–33.8 µM and 0.01–128 µM with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.027 and 0.003 µM for hydrazine, respectively. The suggested hydrazine sensor was successfully applied for the highly sensitive determination of hydrazine in different real samples with satisfactory results.     

Cysteine combined with carbon black as support for electrodeposition of poly (1,8-Diaminonaphthalene): Application as sensing material for efficient determination of nitrite ions

Poly 1,8-Diaminonaphtahlene/cysteine (poly 1,8-DAN/Cys) combined with carbon black (CB) nanoparticles are proposed as an excellent sensor for the detection of nitrite ions. To design the electrocatalyst, a simple approach consisting on drop-casting method was applied to disperse carbon black on the surface of glassy carbon electrode, followed by the immobilization of cysteine on the surface of CB nanoparticles. The electrochemical polymerization of 1,8-Diaminonaphthalene was conducted in acidic medium by using cyclic voltammetry. The prepared hybrid material was denoted poly 1,8-DAN /Cys/CB. Several methods were used to characterize the structural and electrochemical behavior of the reported hybrid material including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The prepared electrode displayed an outstanding electroactivity towards nitrite ions reflected by an enhancement in the intensity of the current and a decrease of the charge transfer resistance. Poly 1,8-DAN/Cys/CB displayed an excellent sensing performance towards the detection of nitrite with a very low detection limit of 0.25 µM. Two linear ranges of 1–40 µM and 20–210 µM when using amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were obtained respectively. This work highlights the simple preparation of a polymeric film rich in amine and thiol groups for nitrite detection.     

Self-assembling and size-selective synthesis of Ni and NiO nanoparticles embedded in ordered mesoporous carbon and polymer frameworks

We demonstrate the self-assembling and size-selective synthesis of uniform and highly dispersed Ni or NiO nanoparticles with diameters below 12 nm embedded in ordered mesoporous carbon or polymer frameworks. Self-assembly is induced by evaporation of the solvent from a mixture of metal-containing liquid crystalline (LC) mesophases of triblock copolymer and transition metal nitrate hydrate, and the carbon source is low-polymerized phenolic resol. Characterization by XRD, N(2) sorption isotherms, TEM, HRSEM, ICP-AES, TG, and XPS techniques has indicated an ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructure, high surface areas between 524 and 721 m(2) g(-1), uniform pore sizes of about 4.0 nm, large pore volumes ranging from 0.34 to 0.58 cm(3) g(-1), and metal contents ranging from 0.6 to 10.0 wt%. There is a high degree of dispersion, and a small size of nanoparticles throughout the whole framework, without aggregation outside of the pores due to the confinement effect of the mesoporous ordered matrix. The mesoporous solids show excellent adsorption properties for dyes and permit an easy magnetic separation procedure. This method is expected to be applicable to other mesoporous transition metal(oxide)-containing carbon catalysts.     

Facile assembly of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with hierarchical pore structure for CO2 capture

In the work, we propose an efficient one-pot approach for synthesis of a new type of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). That can be successfully realized by using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (TSD) as the silica precursors and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure-directing agent through a facile assembly process. The as-synthesized MSNs possess a spherical morphology with about 230 nm, a relatively high surface area of 133 m²/g, and a hierarchical pore size distribution. When applied as the sorbents, the amine-functioned MSNs demonstrate the enhanced adsorption capacity for CO₂ capture (at 1 bar, 15 vol% CO₂, up to 80.5 mg/g at 75 °C), high selectivity, and good cycling durability, benefiting from the suitable modification of polyethyleneimine.     

The electrochemical performance of ordered mesoporous carbon/nickel compounds composite material for supercapacitor

A series of high performance ordered mesoporous carbon/nickel compounds composites have been synthesized by a combination of incipient wetness impregnation and hydrothermal method for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to characterize the composites derived at the hydrothermal temperature of 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 275 and 300 °C. The formation of nanosized nickel compounds, fully inside the mesopore system, was confirmed with XRD and TEM. An N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms measurements still revealed mesoporosity for the host/guest compounds. It is noteworthy that an OMC/nickel nitrate hydroxide hydrate composite (OMCN-150) exhibits more excellent performance. Based on the various hydrothermal temperatures of the composite, the capacitance of an OMCN-150 delivering the best electrochemical performance is about 2.4 (5 mV s⁻¹) and 1.5 (50 mV s⁻¹) times of the pristine OMC. The capacitance retention of an OMCN-150 is 96.1%, which indicates that the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor is improved greatly, and represents novel research and significant advances in the field of electrode composite materials for supercapacitor.     

Facile assembly of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with hierarchical pore structure for CO2 capture

A facile one-pot hydrothermal approach has been developed for the preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with hierarchical pore structure. The PEI-modified MSNs exhibit an improved adsorption capacity for CO₂ capture.