Use of pluronic F108 as a cosurfactant in a synthesis of mesoporous silica microspheres with bimodal pore size distribution.
Large mesoporous silica microspheres with bimodal pore size distributions will be very promising in a special application. Silica microspheres of 10-100 microm in size were synthesized using n-dodecylamine and polymeric surfactant as co-templating agents at room temperature. Surface area and large pore volume of the mesoporous silica microspheres were 884-1009 m2/g and 1.25-1.68 cm3/g, respectively, depending on the reaction conditions. Mesoporous silica microspheres prepared using a short-chained alkylamine surfactant and a long-chained polymeric surfactant exhibited distinct bimodal pore size distribution, that is, small (< 3 nm) and large mesopores (> 20 nm). Pluronic F108, which is a poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol) triblock copolymer, played an important role in the formation of the large mesopores as well as the formation of stable silica microspheres without strong aggregation between particles.
Yoon
Suk Bon
SB
Nuclear Chemistry Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Dukjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353, Korea.
Choi
Yong Suk
YS
Park
Yong Joon
YJ
Kim
Jong-Yun
JY