The Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Spheres by Octylamine Templating

Abstract

Abstract Mesoporous silica hollow spheres have been synthesized by a simple route of hydrolysis of acidic tetraethylorthosilicate solution with octylamine surfactant at ambient temperature. The resultant silica spheres have high BET surface areas of 850 to 950 m2/g and mesopore diameters of ca. 2 nm after the samples were calcined in air at 500 °C. The shell thickness of the spheres can be varied by changing the synthesis composition of the reaction system.