Polymerization of w/o microemulsions for the preparation of transparent SiO2/PMMA nanocomposites

Reverse w/o microemulsions composed of methyl methacrylate (MMA) forming the oil phase, nonionic surfactants, and water are used for the synthesis of transparent SiO2/PMMA nanocomposites. An inorganic precursor, tetraethoxysilane (Si(OEt)(4), TEOS), is hydrolyzed in the reverse micelles containing aqueous ammonia. During the hydrolysis of TEOS, polymerization of the continuous MMA phase is initiated using AIBN (azobisisobutyronitrile), and after thermal polymerization at 333 K for 12 h, solid blocks of PMMA are obtained in which nanometer-sized silica particles are trapped in the solid polymer matrix. According to small-angle X-ray and dynamic light scattering experiments, the water droplets in MMA microemulsions are 12 nm (R(W) = 13) in diameter, whereas after polymerization of the microemulsion, the SiO2 particles in the transparent SiO2/PMMA composites are 26 nm in diameter. Transmission electron micrographs demonstrate a low degree of agglomeration in the composites. In comparison with materials generated from micelle-free solutions, the particle size distribution is narrow. The reverse micelle-mediated approach produces composites of high transparency comparable with that of pure PMMA.     

Supramolecular assembly of lysine-b-glycine block copolypeptides at different solution conditions

Here we report the supramolecular assembly of poly(l-lysine)-b-polyglycine diblock copolypeptides at different solution conditions. Light scattering and confocal microscopy indicate that the supramolecular aggregates initially formed in solution are vesicles with a broad size distribution, depending strongly on the initial processing conditions. The vesicles formed after multiple pH cycles appear independent of the initial processing conditions and are related to the thermodynamic nature of the assembled supramolecular aggregates. Circular dichroism results verify that this change in size observed over pH cyclings tracks with the conformation changes of the lysine block confined in the vesicle membranes. This appears interesting for peptosome-based materials, implying a high level of fluidity in the membrane that allows the supramolecular aggregates formed in solution to respond to changes in pH. The results also show that the external stimulus, which is the change of pH in this study, provides an additional means to regulate polypeptide vesicle size and size distribution.     

Synthesis, characterization, and growth rates of germanium silicalite-1 grown from clear solutions

The synthesis, characterization, and growth of Ge-silicalite-1 from optically clear solutions are reported. Ge-silicalite-1 is readily formed from optically clear solutions of TEOS, TPAOH, water, and a germanium source at 368 K. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is used to determine the Si/Ge ratio and indicates that germanium inclusion is typically 30-50% of that in the actual mixture. Adsorption, power X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and 29Si NMR indicate the materials are crystalline and microporous. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is applied to investigate the influences of germanium source (GeO2 and Ge(OC2H5)4) and content (Si/Ge 100:5) on the growth of Ge-silicalite-1 from clear solutions at 368 K. The in situ SAXS investigations show that for solutions with Si/Ge ratios of 100, 50, and 25 using Ge(OC2H5)4 the induction periods are approximately 6 h and the particle growth rates are 1.82 +/- 0.04, 2.52 +/- 0.13, and 2.85 +/- 0.08 nm/h, respectively, at 368 K, compared to those of pure silicalite-1 (6 h induction period, 1.93 +/- 0.1 nm/h growth rate). Further increasing the Si/Ge ratio to 15 and 5 shortens the induction period to approximately 4.5 h, and the growth rates are 3.07 +/- 0.16 and 2.05 +/- 0.10 nm/h, respectively, indicating the Si/Ge ratio that maximizes Ge-silicalite-1 growth is between 25 and 15. Similar trends are obtained with germanium oxide; however, the growth rates are all consistently larger than those for syntheses with Ge(OC2H5)4. The results indicate that Ge-silicalite-1 growth rates in the presence of germanium are increased as compared to those of pure-silica syntheses.     

Ordered mesoporous silica-based inorganic nanocomposites

This article reviews the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles and nanowires grown in ordered mesoporous silicas (OMS). Summarizing work performed over the last 4 years, this article highlights the material properties of the final nanocomposite in the context of the synthesis methodology employed. While certain metal-OMS systems (e.g. gold in MCM-41) have been extensively studied this article highlights that there is a rich set of chemistries that have yet to be explored. The article concludes with some thoughts on future developments and challenges in this area.     

Synthesis and characterization of uniform alumina-mesoporous silica hybrid membranes

The synthesis and characterization of alumina-mesoporous silica (alumina-MS) hybrid membranes are reported. The hybrids are formed using a variation of the evaporative-induced self-assembly (EISA) process reported by Hayward et al. (Langmuir 2004, 20, 5998) based on dip coating of an Anopore 200 nm membrane with a Brij-56/TEOS/HCl/H2O solution. Numerous analytical methods are used to probe both the hybrid material and the silica phase after dissolution of the Anopore substrate. Most importantly, He/N2 permeation measurements show that the effective pore size of the membrane can be tuned from 20 to 5 nm based on the number of dip-coating cycles used. The observed He/N2 permselectivity of 2.7 +/- 0.11 is nearly identical to the theoretical value obtained (2.65) assuming Knudsen diffusion dominates. The selectivity of these membranes is higher than that of most commercial "5 nm" membranes (2.29), which is ascribed to the lack of pinhole defects in the materials reported here. The hybrid membranes as well as the silica obtained after dissolution of the Anopore substrate have been characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Those results indicate that the silica deposited in the Anopore membrane possesses uniform pores approximately 5 nm in size, consistent with the permeation studies. The current work presents an alternative approach to materials that possess many of the properties of mesoporous silica thin films (i.e., pores of controlled size and topology) without the difficulty of growing mesoporous silica thin films on porous supports.     

Synthesis, characterization, and growth rates of aluminum- and Ge,Al-substituted silicalite-1 materials grown from clear solutions

The synthesis, characterization, and growth rates of aluminum- and germanium,aluminum-substituted silicalite-1 (Al-silicalite-1, Ge,Al-silicalite-1) materials grown from clear solutions are reported. In the case of aluminum substitution, the crystallinity of the materials as determined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) decreases with increasing aluminum content, as does the micropore volume determined by nitrogen adsorption and the growth rate determined by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The final materials possess slightly lower Si/Al ratios than the initial synthesis mixtures based on X-ray fluorescence analysis. In the case of simultaneous incorporation of germanium and aluminum, the final materials have a slightly lower Si/Al ratio than the synthesis mixture but a much higher Si/Ge ratio, indicating the aluminum is more readily incorporated in the zeolite as compared to germanium. This result is consistent with studies of individual heteroatom substitution behavior. Germanium incorporation in the final material increases at higher heteroatom contents (Si/(Ge+Al) = 50 and 25). The promoting effect of germanium on the growth rate of silicalite-1 dominates at low heteroatom content (Si/(Ge+Al) = 100), leading to enhanced zeolite growth rates as compared to pure silicalite-1. This promoting effect is insensitive to the Ge/Al ratio at a Si/(Ge+Al) = 100. The influence of aluminum on the growth rate, as well as the crystallinity of final materials, becomes observable when the heteroatom content is increased (Si/(Ge+Al) = 50 and 25). This is the first study we are aware of that reports the synthesis of Ge,Al-substituted silicalite-1 phases formed in hydroxide media or from clear solutions and has implications for the synthesis of nanoparticulate zeolitic materials for catalysis.     

Modifying zeolite particle morphology and size using water/oil/surfactant mixtures as confined domains for zeolite growth

Here we report the synthesis of silicalite-1 particles using microemulsions wherein the particle size and morphology can be varied.     

PFG NMR investigations of TPA-TMA-silica mixtures

Pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR studies of tetrapropylammonium (TPA)-tetramethylammonium (TMA)-silica mixtures are presented, and the effect of TMA as a foreign ion on the TPA-silica nanoparticle interactions before and after heating has been studied. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results suggest that silica nanoparticles in these TPA-TMA systems grow via a ripening mechanism for the first 24 h of heating. PFG NMR of mixtures before heating show that TMA can effectively displace TPA from the nanoparticle surface. The binding isotherms of TPA at room temperature obtained via PFG NMR can be described by Langmuir isotherms, and indicate a decrease in the adsorbed amount of TPA upon addition of TMA. PFG NMR also shows a systematic increase in the self-diffusion coefficient of TPA in both the mixed TPA-TMA systems and pure TPA systems with heating time, indicating an increased amount of TPA in solution upon heating. By contrast, a much smaller amount of TMA is observed to desorb from the nanoparticles upon heating. These results point to the desorption of TPA from the nanoparticles being a kinetically controlled process. The apparent desorption rate constants were calculated from fitting the desorbed amount of TPA with time via a pseudosecond-order kinetic model. This analysis show the rate of TPA desorption in TPA-TMA mixtures increases with increasing TMA content, whereas for pure TPA mixtures the rate of TPA desorption is much less sensitive to the TPA concentration.