Flaky Mesoporous Silica via Colloidal Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing flaky mesoporous silica particles are limited, as they either result in thin, deformable sheets or multi-layer structures with restricted access to mesopores, making them unsuitable for blending with matrix materials and exerting functions like adsorption and decomposition of macromolecules.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a metal oxide sol with a pH of 7 or higher, containing metal oxide colloidal particles, is fed into a liquid with a low-permittivity solvent, allowing the formation of flaky aggregates that are then treated to increase binding forces, resulting in insoluble, flaky mesoporous particles with a single-layer structure and suitable pore size for macromolecule treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If sheet-shaped mesoporous silica is obtained by using a surfactant that can form a ribbon phase or a nematic phase, then the shape is improved to be sheet-like, but the thickness becomes less than 50 nm making it easily deformed and difficult to blend with matrix materials
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental formation mechanism from surfactant-templated assembly to colloidal particle aggregation. By controlling the aggregation of metal oxide colloidal particles in a liquid medium and subsequent drying/heating, the invention produces sheets with thickness of 0.1-10 μm, which is 200-200 times thicker than conventional sheets, thereby achieving both the desired sheet shape and sufficient mechanical strength for blending with matrix materials.
2Shape
If multi-layer mesoporous silica is obtained by methods forming a layered polysilicate as an intermediate, then the structure is formed with pore channels along interlayer portions, but the surfaces allowing access to mesopores are limited and mechanical strength is reduced due to layer separation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a single-layer porous sheet structure where the entire surface is inherently porous with mesopores distributed across the surface. This eliminates the need for interlayer channels, providing uniform and unrestricted access to mesopores from the entire surface area, while the single-layer structure prevents layer separation issues.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional sol-gel methods using a surfactant micelle as a template are used, then mesoporous silica is produced, but the shape is limited to rod shape only
Solution Approach 1:
The invention fundamentally changes the formation mechanism from micelle-templated sol-gel to colloidal particle aggregation. By controlling the aggregation morphology of colloidal particles in liquid medium and the subsequent drying process, the invention enables production of flaky particles with high aspect ratio, offering shape versatility beyond the rod-shaped limitation of conventional methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The produced mesoporous particles have a large surface area, are less prone to deformation, and are effectively suited for blending with matrix materials, enabling efficient adsorption and decomposition of macromolecules like proteins, while being produced without the need for surfactant micelles as templates.
Implementation Method 1
forming a flaky aggregate of the metal oxide colloidal particles in the liquid
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the flaky aggregate to at least one treatment selected from drying, heating, and pressurization, to increase a binding force between the metal oxide colloidal particles
Implementation Method 3
subjecting the flaky aggregate to at least one treatment selected from drying, heating, and pressurization
Implementation Method 4
mesopores suitable for treatments such as adsorption and decomposition of macromolecules such as proteins
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a mesoporous particle having a flaky shape, having a single-layer structure, having a thickness of 0.1 µm to 3 µm, and having an average pore diameter of 10 nm or more. The mesoporous particle can be obtained by a production method including: feeding a metal oxide sol having a pH of 7 or higher and containing metal oxide colloidal particles as dispersoids and water as a dispersion medium, into a liquid containing a water-miscible solvent having a relative permittivity of 30 or lower (protic solvent) or of 40 or lower (aprotic solvent) at 20°C, and thereby forming a flaky aggregate of the metal oxide colloidal particles in the liquid; and subjecting the aggregate to treatment such as drying and heating, and thereby converting the aggregate into a flaky particle that is insoluble in water.