Microporous and Mesoporous Materials
Microporous and Mesoporous Materials
5 years ago

Scaling-up of mesoporous silica films via an eco-efficient UV processing method. Part 1: Photoinduced mesostructuration

Scaling-up of mesoporous silica films via an eco-efficient UV processing method. Part 1: Photoinduced mesostructuration
Designing sustainable and industrially viable processing methods to synthesize ordered mesoporous films is a necessary condition to tap their full potential of applications. In order to respond to this challenge, well-established photoacid-catalyzed sol-gel photopolymerization has been harnessed to prepare large (>100 cm2) and micrometer-thick porous silica films possessing a 2D hexagonal mesostructure. Our UV irradiation system consists of two inexpensive and low radiant power fluorescent UV tubes (3 mW cm−2, 280–380 nm) enclosed in a hygrometric chamber. Precise conditions to promote copolymer/silica hybrid film mesostructuration have been determined as regards relative humidity, film thickness and templating agent concentration. The mesostructured films have been analyzed using an extensive range of techniques including electron microscopy, grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), and N2 sorption measurements, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Mesoporous silica films with a specific surface area up to 314 m2 g−1 have been achieved with a very low level of microporosity. Coupling of X–ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR spectroscopy has enabled to shed light into the photoinduced self-assembly mechanism.

Publisher URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science

DOI: S138718111730553X

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