Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Mesoporous Silicates—Nanoscopic Reactors Coming of Age

TLDR

Reactive and passive organic groups can be incorporated into mesoporous silicates via grafting or co‑condensation under surfactant control. This review aims to describe methods for preparing hybrid inorganic–organic mesoporous silicates with uniform channel structures and their applications. The preparation involves grafting or co‑condensation techniques that yield uniform channel structures in the hybrid silicates. Functional groups have been selectively positioned on internal, external, or wall surfaces of the mesoporous solids, enabling tuning of surface properties, reactivity, protection, and bulk characteristics, and the materials have been applied in catalysis, metal and anion sorption, polymerization reactors, fixation of biologically active species, and optical devices.

Abstract

This review describes methods of preparing hybrid inorganic–organic mesoporous silicates with uniform channel structures, as well as some of their applications. Both reactive and passive organic groups can be incorporated in the porous solids by grafting methods or by co-condensation under surfactant control. Functional groups have been placed selectively on the internal or external pore surfaces or even within the walls of the mesoporous solids. Organic functionalization of these solids permits tuning of the surface properties (hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, binding to guest molecules), alteration of the surface reactivity, protection of the surface from attack, and modification of the bulk properties (e.g., mechanical or optical properties) of the material. Recent applications of hybrid mesoporous silicates are highlighted, including catalysis, sorption of metals, anions, and organics, reactors for polymerization, fixation of biologically active species, and optical applications.