Effect of ionic polymer on cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide templated synthesis of mesoporous silica

Mesoporous silica was synthesized using a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and an ionic polymer, anionic sulphonated aromatic poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) or cationic poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAACl), as co-templates under a basic condition. The use of CTAB/SPEEK as structure-directing agents results in hierarchical mesoporous silica that contains hexagonally ordered mesopores (∼2 nm) directed by CTAB and larger mesopores (∼20-50 nm) directed by SPEEK. For a comparison, the use of CTAB/PAACl as structure-directing agents results in mesoporous silica with unimodal pores (∼2-3 nm), tunable degree of ordering from partially ordered to disordered, and particular morphology from irregular particles to flower-like agglomerates and to spherical particles.