An acid-free route for the facile synthesis of iron-functionalized mesoporous silicas: Transformation between hollow nanospheres and cage-like mesostructures

- Facile and green preparation of Fe-substituted hollow silica nanospheres and Fe-FDU-12 in absence of mineral acids.
- Well-isolated iron sites incorporated in silicas are obtained.
- Iron-functionalized hollow nanospheres with microporous shells and mesoporous voids may provide promising applications.
- Tunability of type and content of iron precursors triggers evolution between hollow nanospheres and cage-like mesostructures.
- Effects of inorganic salts in formation and transformation of varying mesoporous structures.