Synthesis and characterization of graphene–mesoporous silica nanoparticle hybrids

We report the synthesis of graphene–mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) hybrids by selective growth of the latter on graphene oxide sheets using a cationic surfactant-templated method. The MSNs were just a few tens of nanometers in size, exhibited internal mesopores ∼3.7–4 nm wide and appeared to be firmly attached to the graphene sheets. The nanoparticles could also be produced with varying densities on the graphene support, from isolated entities up to close-packed monolayers uniformly coating both sides of the sheets, which allowed fine-tuning the porous texture of the materials on the basis of their interparticle porosity. The experimental conditions that afford the generation of these graphene–MSN hybrids are also discussed.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles selectively on graphene sheets by soft templating. ► The nanoparticles are a few tens of nanometers large with 4 nm wide pores. ► Nanoparticle density and textural details of the hybrid determined by amount of silica precursor used. ► The experimental conditions that afford the hybrids are discussed.