Fabrication of mesoporous silica thin films inside microreactors

Highly ordered mesoporous silica films were fabricated on the inner wall of borosilicate microcapillary tubes as a model of microreactors. The protocol to form thin and flat SBA-16 films was developed for the use as catalyst supports within microreactors. In order to verify the protocol, the films coated on planar substrates were first examined. The observation of the structure, thickness, and surface morphology of the films on planar substrates revealed that the films were thin (∼ 50 nm) and flat as well as possessing highly ordered structures with pores open to the surface. The films were then deposited inside microcapillary tubes using the protocol. The atomic force microscopy observation showed the same surface morphology as the samples formed on planar substrates.