A Novel Route toward the Synthesis of High-Quality Large-Pore Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas

Impact of carrier particle surface properties on drug nanoparticle attachment

HYPOTHESIS

The stabilization and isolation to dryness of drug nanoparticles has always been a challenge for nano-medicine production. In the past, the use of montmorillonite (MMT) clay carrier particles to adsorb drug nanoparticles and maintain their high surface area to volume ratio after isolation to dryness has proven to be effective. We hypothesise that the distribution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic patches on the clay's surface as well as its porosity/roughness, hinder the agglomeration of the drug nanoparticles to the extent that they retain their high surface area to volume ratio and display fast dissolution profiles.

EXPERIMENTS

In this work, the distribution of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, and the porosity/roughness, of the surface of selected silica carrier particles were varied and the impact of these variations on drug nanoparticle attachment to the carrier particle and subsequent dissolution profiles was studied.

FINDINGS

The fastest dissolution profiles at the highest drug nanoparticle loadings were obtained with a periodic mesoporous organosilane carrier particle which had a homogeneous distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface properties. Carrier particles with rough/porous surfaces and a combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic patches resulted in nanocomposite powders with faster dissolution behaviour than carrier particles with predominantly either a hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface, or with non-porous/smoother surfaces.

Zirconium Containing Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica: The Effect of Zr on CO2 Sorption at Ambient Conditions

Two series of zirconium-incorporated-periodic-mesoporous-organosilica (Zr–PMO) materials were successfully prepared, via a co-condensation strategy, in the presence of Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer. The first series of Zr–PMO was prepared using tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and zirconyl chloride octahydrate(ZrCO), denoted as Zr-I-PMO, where I refers to ICS. The second series was synthesized using bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEE), TEOS, and ZrCO as precursors, named as Zr-B-PMO, where B refers to BTEE. Zr–PMO samples exhibit type (IV) adsorption isotherms, with a distinct H2-hysteresis loop and well-developed structural parameters, such as pore volume, pore width, high surface area, and narrow pore-size distribution. Structural properties were studied by varying the Zr:Si ratio, adding TEOS at different time intervals, and changing the amount of block copolymer-Pluronic P123 used as well as the calcination temperature. Surface characteristics were tailored by precisely controlling the Zr:Si ratio, upon varying the amount of TEOS present in the mesostructures. The addition of TEOS at different synthesis stages, notably, enhanced the pore size and surface area of the resulting Zr-I-PMO samples more than the Zr-B-PMO samples. Changing the amount of block copolymer, also, played a significant role in altering the textural and morphological properties of the Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples. Optimizing the amount of Pluronic P123 added is crucial for tailoring the surface properties of Zr–PMOs. The prepared Zr–PMO samples were examined for use in CO2 sorption, at ambient temperature and pressure (25 °C, 1.2 bar pressure). Zr–PMO samples displayed a maximum CO2 uptake of 2.08 mmol/g, at 25 °C and 1.2 bar pressure. However, analogous zirconium samples, without any bridging groups, exhibited a significantly lower CO2 uptake, of 0.72 mmol/g, under the same conditions. The presence of isocyanurate- and benzene-bridging groups in Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples enhances the CO2 sorption. Interestingly, results illustrate that Zr–PMO materials show potential in capturing CO2, at ambient conditions.

PMO synthesized and functionalized by p-phenylenediamine as new nanofiller in PES-nanofiltration membrane matrix for efficient treatment of organic dye, heavy metal, and salts from wastewater

Highly ordered periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) with large-pores (9.3 nm) synthesized using novel and cost-effective route. The synthesized PMO was then functionalized by p-phenylenediamine (PPD) and incorporated in polyethersulfone (PES) nanofiltration membrane‌ with various dosage using phase inversion method. The prepared membranes were characterized with FT-IR/ATR, FE-SEM and EDX techniques. The overall porosity, the mean of pore radius, water contact angle, fouling, permeation, and rejection were computed. As a result, the hydrophilicity and the pure water flux of membranes were significantly enhanced after modification with PMO-PPD due to its high hydrophilic nature as nanofiller. Ultimately, the modified membrane with 0.25 wt% of PPD was found the ideal membrane with water contact angle of 54.2%, pure water flux of 33.7 L/m² h, porosity of 74.1%, and mean pore radius of 4.96 nm. This membrane showed the maximum increase in water flux and superlative anti-fouling growth when compared to the other studied membranes. Moreover, among modified membranes with various quantity of PPD, the performance of the PES-PMO-PPD 0.25 wt% was the best for rejection of MO dye (96.7%), Pb(II) (93.1%), Na₂SO₄ (73.0%), MgSO₄ (41.6%), and NaCl (33.7%).

Tuning molecular adsorption in SBA-15-type periodic mesoporous organosilicas by systematic variation of their surface polarity

Surface polarity plays a key role in controlling molecular adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces, with major implications for reactions and separations. In this study, the chemical composition of periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) was varied by co-condensing Si(OEt)4 with organodisilanes, to create a homologous series of materials with similar surface areas, pore volumes, and hydroxyl contents. Their relative surface polarities, obtained by measuring the fluorescence of a solvatochromic dye, cover a wide range. In this series of PMO materials, EPR spectra of tethered nitroxide radicals show monotonically decreasing mobility as larger fractions of the radicals interact strongly with increasingly non-polar surfaces. The surface properties of the materials also correlate with their affinities for organic molecules dissolved in various solvents. The most polar PMO has negligible affinity for phenol, p-cresol, or furfural when these molecules are dissolved in water. However, stronger solute-surface interactions and favor adsorption as the surface polarity decreases. The trend is reversed for furfural in benzene, where weaker solvent-surface interactions result in higher adsorption on polar surfaces. In DMSO, furfural adsorption is suppressed due to the similar strengths of solute-surface and solvent-surface interactions. Thus, the polarity of the surface relative to the solvent is critical for molecular adsorption. These findings show how adsorption/desorption can be precisely and systematically tuned by appropriate choice of both solvent and surface, and contribute to a predictive strategy for the design of catalytic and separations processes.

Mesoporous Silica SBA-15 Particles in a Detergent Solution as Abrasive and Coating Material for Household Care Cleaning Products

Cleaning products have improved a lot in the last century. The reason for this improvement is not only the use of new surfactants, but also the use of additives that either increase the efficiency of surfactants or act as abrasive agents that increase the mechanical friction during the cleaning process. In this study mesoporous silica (SBA-15) particles are suggested as abrasive additives to a reference detergent as they have a quite soft structure and their shape can act as micro-sponge to collect large amounts of dirt. Indeed, SBA-15 performs very well when added to the detergent, decreasing the effort for primary cleaning of a surface. Furthermore, the properties of the coating layer left behind after primary cleaning with SBA-15 are also examined (i.e., secondary cleaning). It is found that SBA-15 offers no benefit for secondary cleaning. In order to explain this finding, the effect of SBA-15 on the wetting properties of different substrates is studied. It is seen that the SBA-15 coating layer is not uniform. Furthermore, it is seen that dirt is capable of pushing away the coating layer and occupying a large area on the substrate. Contact angle measurements indicate that the substrates become more omniphilic in the presence of SBA-15 coating.

Protecting bactofencin A to enable its antimicrobial activity using mesoporous matrices

There is huge global concern surrounding the emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and this is resulting in an inability to treat infectious diseases. This is due to a lack of new antimicrobials coming to the market and irresponsible use of traditional antibiotics. Bactofencin A, a novel antimicrobial peptide which shows potential as an antibiotic, is susceptible to enzyme degradation. To improve its solution stability and inherent activity, bactofencin A was loaded onto a traditional silica mesoporous matrix, SBA-15, and a periodic mesoporous organosilane, MSE. The loading of bactofencin A was considerably higher onto SBA-15 than MSE due to the hydrophilic nature of SBA-15. While there was no detectable peptide released from SBA-15 into phosphate buffered saline and only 20% of the peptide loaded onto MSE was released, the loaded matrices showed enhanced activity compared to the free peptide during in vitro antimicrobial assays. In addition, the mesoporous matrices were found to protect bactofencin A against enzymatic degradation where results showed that the SBA-15 and MSE with loaded bactofencin A exposed to trypsin inhibited the growth of S. aureus while a large decrease in activity was observed for free bactofencin upon exposure to trypsin. Thus, the activity and stability of bactofencin A can be enhanced using mesoporous matrices and these matrices may enable its potential development as a novel antibiotic. This work also shows that in silico studies looking at surface functional group and size complementarity between the peptide and the protective matrix could enable the systemic selection of a mesoporous matrix for individual bacteriocins with potential antimicrobial therapeutic properties.

Mesoporous polyoxometalate cluster–crosslinked organosilica frameworks delivering exceptionally high photocatalytic activity

Mesoporous polyoxometalate (POM)-based organosilica frameworks with high catalytic activity, 3D open-pore structure, and uniform pores are prepared via a surfactant-assisted co-polymerization of organically-modified POM clusters with ethane-bridged silsesquioxane linkers.

Solvent-tuning of ordered mesoporous silicas prepared through evaporation-induced self-assembly templated by poly(ethylene oxide-b-ε-caprolactone)

Highly ordered mesoporous silicas having narrow pore size distributions and various morphologies merely through selection of an appropriate solvent.

Hybrid periodic mesoporous organosilica designed to improve the properties of immobilized enzymes

Hybrid organosilica supports synthesized with pore size adjusted to enzyme dimensions provide high stability in organic solvent systems and prevent leaching.

Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas: from simple to complex bridges; a comprehensive overview of functions, morphologies and applications

Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas (PMOs) were developed in 1999 and are basically ordered templated mesoporous organosilicas, prepared by the combination of a surfactant as template and a silsesquioxane as the organosilica precursor. They were one of the first examples of the so-called "hybrid" organic/inorganic materials. In the years that followed, an amazing variety of functional groups, morphologies and applications has been developed. Some of these high-end applications, like low-k buffer layers in microelectronics, chiral catalysts, chromatographic supports, selective adsorbents and light-harvesting devices, have clearly shown their potential. In this review, we will give a comprehensive overview of all these different functionalities and applications that have been created for Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas.

Synthesis of ultralarge-pore FDU-12 silica with face-centered cubic structure

Ultralarge-pore FDU-12 (ULP-FDU-12) silicas with face-centered cubic structures (Fm3m symmetry) of spherical mesopores were synthesized at low initial temperature (∼14 °C) using commercially available PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 as a micellar template and xylene as a micelle expander. Xylene was selected on the basis of its predicted higher swelling ability for the Pluronic surfactant micelles in comparison to 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene that was used previously to obtain large-pore FDU-12. The optimization of the synthesis conditions afforded as-synthesized ULP-FDU-12 materials with unit-cell parameters up to 56 nm, which is comparable to the highest reported values for Fm3m structures templated by custom-made surfactants. Calcined silicas were obtained with unit-cell parameters up to 53 nm and pore diameters up to ∼36 nm (for N(2) adsorption at 77 K, the capillary condensation relative pressure was up to 0.938). The preferred silica source was tetraethylorthosilicate, but tetramethylorthosilicate was also found suitable. The pore diameter was dependent on the unit-cell size of the as-synthesized material, but was further tuned by adjusting the time and temperature of the treatment in the HCl solution. If the synthesis was performed at low temperature only, highly ordered closed-pore silicas were obtained at calcination temperatures as low as 450 °C. On the other hand, the hydrothermal treatments, including the acid treatment at 130 °C, afforded silicas with large pore entrance sizes. The present synthesis constitutes a major advancement in the synthesis of ordered silicas with very large open and closed spherical mesopores.

Synthesis of large-pore methylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilicas and its implications

In this article, we report the synthesis of methylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) of the SBA-15 type. The materials were characterized by SAXS, BET, NMR, FESEM, and TEM. It was found that the synthesis of methylene-bridged SBA-15 PMOs requires more rigorous conditions than that of SBA-15 PMOs bearing organic bridges other than methylene. A mild acidic environment, which slows down the hydrolysis and condensation rates of the precursor, with the assistance of a salt, which enhances precursor-template interaction, should be used to synthesize high-quality large-pore methylene-bridged PMOs. We attributed this to the fast hydrolysis and condensation rates and the rigid backbone of precursor 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)methylene. By examining and comparing the synthesis of three large-pore PMOs with different bridges, we concluded that the inductive, bridging, and conformation effects of the organic bridging group play an important role in the synthesis of large-pore PMO materials.

Phase Transformation of the Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas Assisted by Organotrialkoxysilane

A phase transformation of mesoporous organosilicas from 2D-hexagonal P6mm to cubic Pm3n phase can be induced by the organotrialkoxysilane with hydrophilic pendant group with the aid of methanol during the co-condensation of 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane (BTME) and (EtO)(3)Si-R (R = L-prolinamide, trans-(1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane, and gamma-aminopropyl) using the cationic surfactant, octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (C(18)TMACl), as template in basic medium. Under similar synthesis conditions, no cubic Pm3n phase could be formed in the absence of (EtO)(3)Si-R. Depending on the type of the pendant group, different amounts of methanol were needed for the formation of the cubic Pm3n phase. N-[(triethoxysilyl)propyl]-L-prolinamide (M(L-Pro)) could easily induce the phase changing from 2D-hexagonal P6mm to cubic Pm3n phase probably because L-proline could result in a decreasing of the surfactant packing factor (g) through formation of large architecture on the outer boundary of the surfactant micelles. The organotrialkoxysilane can also help the formation of spherical morphology of the resultant materials.

Hexylene- and Octylene-Bridged Polysilsesquioxane Hybrid Crystals Self-Assembled by Dimeric Building Blocks with Ring Structures

We report the synthesis of novel polysilsesquioxane hybrid crystals prepared from two precursors with hexylene- and octylene-bridged groups. Both crystals are composed of bimolecular rings (18- and 22-membered, respectively) formed by one-step condensation of two hydrolyzed monomers. The hydrogen bonds between silanol groups and the weak van der Waal's interactions between alkyl chains link the large rings as building blocks together into self-assembled, three-dimensional molecular crystalline structures. The precise control of the sol-gel process is considered to be the crucial factor in fabricating flexible long alkyl chains into an ordered stacking. These contributions extend the understanding of the sol-gel chemistry of polysilsesquioxanes.

Adsorption and Activity of a Domoic Acid Binding Antibody Fragment on Mesoporous Silicates

The adsorption of an anti-domoic acid single-chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment onto a range of mesoporous silicate supports was investigated. The scFv fragment adsorbed to all materials investigated, and pI had an apparently large effect on coating, with the greatest-and fastest-adsorption found on the most negatively charged silicates. Maximal coating levels attainable did not reflect the pore diameters of the materials. The immobilized antibody was functional on all materials and bound its antigen, a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by shellfish, in a rapidly saturating manner that suggested the antibody adsorbed in a multilayer on the mesoporous particles. The antigen:antibody ratio decreased from 1:1.3 to <1:10 with increasing concentration of immobilized antibody, and the immobilized scFv exhibited no detectable reduction in domoic acid binding over a 42-day incubation period.

Kinetics and thermodynamics of bromophenol blue adsorption by a mesoporous hybrid gel derived from tetraethoxysilane and bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane

A mesoporous hybrid gel is prepared with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane (TSH) as precursors without using any templating agent. Nitrogen sorption, TG-DTA, FTIR, and point of zero charge (PZC) measurement are used to characterize the gel. The gel has a specific surface area of 695 m(2) g(-1) with a pore size of 3.5 nm, a pore volume of 0.564 cm(3) g(-1), and a point of zero charge (PZC) of 6.2. The kinetics and thermodynamics of bromophenol blue (BPB) adsorption by the gel in aqueous solution are investigated comprehensively. The effects of initial BPB concentration, pH, ionic strength, and temperature on the adsorption are investigated. Kinetic studies show that the kinetic data are well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Initial adsorption rate increases with the increase in initial BPB concentration and temperature. Adsorption activation energy is found to be 62.5-67.5 kJ mol(-1) depending on the initial BPB concentration. Internal diffusion appears to be the rate-limiting step for the adsorption process. The equilibrium adsorption amount increases with the increase in the initial BPB concentration, solution acidity, and ionic strength, but decreases with the increase in temperature. The thermodynamic analysis indicates that the adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption isotherms can be well described with Freundlich equation indicating the heterogeneity of the hybrid gel surface. Electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are suggested to be the dominant mechanism for adsorption.

Silica-Based Mesoporous Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials

Mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid materials, a new class of materials characterized by large specific surface areas and pore sizes between 2 and 15 nm, have been obtained through the coupling of inorganic and organic components by template synthesis. The incorporation of functionalities can be achieved in three ways: by subsequent attachment of organic components onto a pure silica matrix (grafting), by simultaneous reaction of condensable inorganic silica species and silylated organic compounds (co-condensation, one-pot synthesis), and by the use of bissilylated organic precursors that lead to periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs). This Review gives an overview of the preparation, properties, and potential applications of these materials in the areas of catalysis, sorption, chromatography, and the construction of systems for controlled release of active compounds, as well as molecular switches, with the main focus being on PMOs.