A novel route to highly monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres consisting of nano-sized particles

A novel route to highly monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres consisting of nano-sized silica particles will be presented. Simple hydrothermal treatment of monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres with ordered hexagonal structure resulted in internal structural transformation. Ordered hexagonal structure completely disappeared and instead nano-sized silica particles generated in the sphere. In consequence, the average mesopore size increased to 17 nm from 2.3 nm while retaining uniform spherical morphology. It was found that silver nanoparticles could be stabilized in mesopores of hydrothermally treated monodispersed silica spheres. In addition, by using the hydrothermally treated monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres as a template, monodispersed mesoporous carbon spheres with large mesopores could be obtained.

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► Pores of monodispersed silica spheres can be expanded by a hydrothermal treatment.
► Ordered hexagonal structure disappears and nano-sized silica particles are generated.
► Mesopore size increases to 17 nm from 2.3 nm.
► Monodispersed mesoporous carbon spheres with large pore size can be obtained.
► Silver nanoparticles are stabilized in the expanded mesopores.