title: Self-assembly of a silica-surfactant nanocomposite in a porous alumina membrane.
abstract: A mesoporous membrane composed of nanochannels with a uniform diameter has a potential use for precise size-exclusive separation of molecules. Here, we report a novel method to form a hybrid membrane composed of silica-surfactant nanocomposite and a porous alumina membrane, by which size-selective transport of molecules across the membrane becomes possible. The nanocomposite formed inside each columnar alumina pore was an assembly of surfactant-templated silica-nanochannels with a channel diameter of 3.4 nm; the channel direction being predominantly oriented along the wall of the columnar alumina pore. Molecules could be transported across the membrane including the silica-surfactant nanocomposite with a capability of nanometre-order size-exclusive separation. Our proposed membrane system has a potential use not only for separation science, but also catalysis and chip technologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uejo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanamura
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teramae
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D008422:Materials Testing; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008851:Micropore Filters; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000537:Aluminum Oxide