Synthesis of the Mesoporous Silica with Different Morphological Structure by Modifying the Solution Conditions

Mesoporous silica with different morphological structure had been prepared using cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as co-surfactant templates and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as silica source. Variation on the morphological structure can be achieved by adjusting the solution conditions. The mesoporous silica with varied morphologies and pore structures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD) and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. Based on experimental results, the mesoporous silica morphologies including vesicle-like and hollow nanospheres with mesoporous shell has been proposed. It was also observed a transformation from vesicle-like silica to hollow nanospheres with mesoporous shell by regulating the solution conditions.