Double function of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) for the preparation of colloidal silica nanospheres and the conversion to ordered mesoporous carbon

Abstract

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) has been found to be an excellent catalyst for the preparation of colloidal silica nanospheres around 10 to 20 nm in size, and THAM on the surfaces of nanospheres is an efficient carbon source for the synthesis of highly ordered mesoporous carbon with controlled pore size by using closely packed nanospheres as a porogen.