Recent Developments on the Catalytic and Biosensing Applications of Porous Nanomaterials.

Nanoscopic materials have demonstrated a versatile role in almost every emerging field of research. Nanomaterials have come to be one of the most important fields of advanced research today due to its controllable particle size in the nanoscale range, capacity to adopt diverse forms and morphologies, high surface area, and involvement of transition and non-transition metals. With the introduction of porosity, nanomaterials have become a more promising candidate than their bulk counterparts in catalysis, biomedicine, drug delivery, and other areas. This review intends to compile a self-contained set of papers related to new synthesis methods and versatile applications of porous nanomaterials that can give a realistic picture of current state-of-the-art research, especially for catalysis and sensor area. Especially, we cover various surface functionalization strategies by improving accessibility and mass transfer limitation of catalytic applications for wide variety of materials, including organic and inorganic materials (metals/metal oxides) with covalent porous organic (COFs) and inorganic (silica/carbon) frameworks, constituting solid backgrounds on porous materials.

Carbon Capture Using Porous Silica Materials.

As the primary greenhouse gas, CO2 emission has noticeably increased over the past decades resulting in global warming and climate change. Surprisingly, anthropogenic activities have increased atmospheric CO2 by 50% in less than 200 years, causing more frequent and severe rainfall, snowstorms, flash floods, droughts, heat waves, and rising sea levels in recent times. Hence, reducing the excess CO2 in the atmosphere is imperative to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 °C. Among many CO2 mitigation approaches, CO2 capture using porous materials is considered one of the most promising technologies. Porous solid materials such as carbons, silica, zeolites, hollow fibers, and alumina have been widely investigated in CO2 capture technologies. Interestingly, porous silica-based materials have recently emerged as excellent candidates for CO2 capture technologies due to their unique properties, including high surface area, pore volume, easy surface functionalization, excellent thermal, and mechanical stability, and low cost. Therefore, this review comprehensively covers major CO2 capture processes and their pros and cons, selecting a suitable sorbent, use of liquid amines, and highlights the recent progress of various porous silica materials, including amine-functionalized silica, their reaction mechanisms and synthesis processes. Moreover, CO2 adsorption capacities, gas selectivity, reusability, current challenges, and future directions of porous silica materials have also been discussed.

Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles from Various Biological Sources and Its Biomedical Applications.

In the last few decades, the broad scope of nanomedicine has played an important role in the global healthcare industry. Biological acquisition methods to obtain nanoparticles (NPs) offer a low-cost, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly approach. This review shows recent data about several methods for procuring nanoparticles and an exhaustive elucidation of biological agents such as plants, algae, bacteria, fungi, actinomycete, and yeast. When compared to the physical, chemical, and biological approaches for obtaining nanoparticles, the biological approach has significant advantages such as non-toxicity and environmental friendliness, which support their significant use in therapeutic applications. The bio-mediated, procured nanoparticles not only help researchers but also manipulate particles to provide health and safety. In addition, we examined the significant biomedical applications of nanoparticles, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and other medical applications. This review highlights the findings of current research on the bio-mediated acquisition of novel NPs and scrutinizes the various methods proposed to describe them. The bio-mediated synthesis of NPs from plant extracts has several advantages, including bioavailability, environmental friendliness, and low cost. Researchers have sequenced the analysis of the biochemical mechanisms and enzyme reactions of bio-mediated acquisition as well as the determination of the bioactive compounds mediated by nanoparticle acquisition. This review is primarily concerned with collating research from researchers from a variety of disciplines that frequently provides new clarifications to serious problems.

Role of polymer template in crystal structure and photoactivity of Cu-TiO2 heterojunction nanostructures towards environmental remediation.

Exploring porous heterojunction nanomaterials as a photocatalyst for water depollution strategies towards environmental restoration is exceedingly difficult in the perspective of sustainable chemistry. Herein, we first report a porous Cu-TiO2 (TC40) heterojunction by using microphase separation of a novel penta-block copolymer (PLGA-PEO-PPO-PEO-PLGA) as a template through an evaporation induced self-assembly (EISA) method having nanorod-like particle shape. Furthermore, two types of photocatalyst were made with or without polymer template to clarify the function of that template precursor on the surface and morphology, as well as which variables are the most critical for a photocatalyst. TC40 heterojunction nanomaterial displayed higher BET surface area along with lower band gap value viz.2.98 eV compared to the other and these features make it a robust photocatalyst for wastewater treatment. In order to improve water quality, we have carried out experiments on the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO), highly toxic pollutants that cause health hazards and bioaccumulate in the environment. Our catalyst, TC40 exhibits the 100% photocatalytic efficiency towards MO dye degradation in 40 and 360 min at a rate constant of 0.104 ± 0.007 min-1 and 0.440 ± 0.03 h-1 under UV + Vis and visible light irradiation, respectively.

CTAB enabled microwave-hydrothermal assisted mesoporous Zn-doped hydroxyapatite nanorods synthesis using bio-waste Nodipecten nodosus scallop for biomedical implant applications.

In biomedical exploration, the predominant characteristic is synthesizing and fabricating multifunctional nanostructure with intensified biocompatibility and excellent antibacterial applications to avoid post-surgical implant failure. The objective of the current study is to examine ideal mesoporous zinc-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) for future use in the field of biomedical research. In the present investigation, we synthesized mesoporous Zn-doped HAp nanorods with varied mole concentrations using a profound microwave hydrothermal method utilizing bio-waste Nodipecten nodosus scallop as a calcium source and CTAB as an organic modifier. Bio-waste Nodipecten nodosus scallop is a widely available cheap calcium precursor which is converted into pure and zinc-doped hydroxyapatite nanorods with the help of the microwave hydrothermal method. Different analytical techniques like spectroscopy and electron microscopy were employed to evaluate and precisely characterize the structural and morphological characteristics in synthesized pure and mesoporous Zn-doped HAp nanorods. CTAB and microwave hydrothermal methods successfully create mesoporous Zn-doped hydroxyapatite nanorods with different sizes and morphology. Mesoporous Zinc-doped HAp nanorods show excellent antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 7407) and Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 1133), compared to other nanorods. ZnHAp-3 shows notable excellent results of antibacterial effect towards K. pneumoniae and B. subtilis, by exhibiting 12.36 ± 0.12 and 13.12 ± 0.16 mm zone of inhibition. Furthermore, ZnHAp-1 shows the lower zone of inhibition, while the ZnHAp-3 sample shows the highest zone of inhibition. A foremost study performed was toxicity assays to validate safe attributes of mesoporous zinc-doped HAp intensified with the proliferation function of the zebrafish model. The results reveal the non-toxic behavior of pure and mesoporous zinc-doped HAp samples. Thus, our studies provide evidence for the synthesis technique for the mesoporous zinc-doped HAp nanorods using a novel CTAB-enabled microwave hydrothermal method utilizing bio-waste Nodipecten nodosus scallop as a calcium source will be alternative affordable biocidal antibacterial materials for controlling post-surgical implant failures.

Citric Acid-Mediated Microwave-Hydrothermal Synthesis of Mesoporous F-Doped HAp Nanorods from Bio-Waste for Biocidal Implant Applications.

In this current research, mesoporous nano-hydroxyapatite (HAp) and F-doped hydroxyapatite (FHAp) were effectively obtained through a citric acid-enabled microwave hydrothermal approach. Citric acid was used as a chelating and modifying agent for tuning the structure and porosity of the HAp structure. This is the first report to use citric acid as a modifier for producing mesoporous nano HAp and F-doped FHAp. The obtained samples were characterized by different analyses. The XRD data revealed that F is incorporated well into the HAp crystal structure. The crystallinity of HAp samples was improved and the unit cell volume was lowered with fluorine incorporation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the obtained samples revealed that a nano rod-like shape was obtained. The mesoporous structures of the produced HAp samples were confirmed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. In vivo studies performed using zebrafish and C. elegans prove the non-toxic behavior of the synthesized F doped HAp samples. The obtained samples are also analyzed for antimicrobial activity using Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, which are majorly involved in implant failure. The F doped samples revealed excellent bactericidal activity. Hence, this study confirms that the non-toxic and excellent antibacterial mesoporous F doped HAp can be a useful candidate for biocidal implant application.

Fenton Stability of Mesoporous Ceria-Silica and Its Role in Enhanced Durability of Poly(arylene ether sulfone) Multiblock Copolymer Composite Membranes for Perfluorosulfonic Acid Alternatives.

To increase the stability of cerium scavengers, we doped cerium oxide on mesoporous silica powders for the application of an oxidative stabilizer. The oxidation-reduction reaction involving hydroxyl radicals (•OH) is investigated with Fenton's test using eight types of Ce(IV)-mobile compositions of matter 41 (MCM-41) and Ce(III)-MCM-41 powder samples. As confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the relative amount of Ce3+ inside the mesoporous samples decreases with the increasing time of treatment using the Fenton solution, whereas that of Ce4+ increases. 29Si CP-MAS NMR shows that the condensation of the siloxane bond varies according to the treating time up to 120 h. The mesoporous structure is also analyzed using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption. Further treatment with propane sulfonic acid ensured that the ionic conductivity of the sulfonated mesoporous silica did not decrease. The surface-modified mesoporous silica was incorporated in sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock membranes. The sulfonated mesoporous silica could overcome the drawbacks of transition metal scavengers, such as a drop in ionic conductivity. Through experiments, we determined that the Ce-doped sulfonated mesoporous silica/sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) composite membranes exhibit high oxidation stability when exposed to hydrogen peroxide and even higher proton conductivity than Nafion at a relative humidity over 60%.

Newly Designed Mesoporous Silica and Organosilica Nanostructures Based on Pentablock Copolymer Templates in Weakly Acidic Media.

We developed a new category of porous silica and organosilicas nanostructures in a facile method based on weakly acidic aqueous-ethanol media by utilizing two different pentablock copolymer templates of type PLGA-PEO-PPO-PEO-PLGA. Pluronic block templates were used mainly to prepare these pentablock copolymers with different molecular weights and volume ratios. Silica precursor tetraethyl orthosilicate and organosilicas precursor 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene have been used as main source for synthesizing the silica and organosilicas samples. Weak Lewis acids iron(III) chloride hexahydrate, aluminum(III) chloride hexahydrate, and boric acid were utilized as catalyst instead of any strong inorganic acids and the molar ratio of catalyst/precursor has been optimized to 1-2 for preparation of ordered mesostructures. Reaction temperatures have been optimized to 25 °C for pure silica and both 25 °C as well as 40 °C for organosilicas to get the best result for mesostructures. A detailed analysis by using various analytical techniques like synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering, nitrogen sorption, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope, solid-state 29Si CP-MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and so on has revealed well developed mesostructures with surface area of 388-836 m2/g for silica and 210-691 m2/g for organosilica samples, respectively. Furthermore, bimodal typepores have been observed from pore size distribution plot of the samples. Thermal stability of the materials was up to 400 °C as analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis.

Mesoporous Mn-doped hydroxyapatite nanorods obtained via pyridinium chloride enabled microwave-assisted synthesis by utilizing Donax variabilis seashells for implant applications.

Manganese-doped mesoporous hydroxyapatite (MnHAp) nanorods, a bio-apatite were synthesized via pyridinium chloride mediated microwave approach using bio-waste Donax variabilis seashells to treat orthopedic infections. This is the first report on using pyridinium chloride mediated mesoporous MnHAp nanorods synthesis. Pure and Mn doped HAp samples were examined using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies to confirm the prepared HAp nanorods. Furthermore, the fabrication of manganese-doped HAp was successful with the formation of a hexagonal crystal lattice without disturbing the HAp phase. It is because, at the time of synthesis, PO43- ions form an electrostatic interaction with the Mn ions. Furthermore, Mn-doped HAp samples showed a reduction in their sizes of 15, 10-15, 5-10 nm width, and 80-100, 10-15, 20-30 nm length with varied pore diameters and surface area. The pure HAp, MnHAp-1, MnHAp-2, and MnHAp-3 nanorods disclose the surface area of 39.4, 18.0, 49.2, and 80.4 m2 g-1, with a pore volume of 0.0102, 0.0047, 0.0143, and 0.0447 cm3 g-1, the corresponding pore diameter was estimated to be 6, 7, 6, and 4 nm, respectively. Moreover, antibacterial activity reveals effective bactericidal action against infections causing pathogens whereas cytotoxicity examination (MTT assay), and zebrafish results reveal their non-toxic behavior. Therefore, it is evident from the study, that rapid fabrication of mesoporous and diverse structured MnHAp nanorods could be convenient with pyridinium chloride enabled microwave-assisted method as a bactericidal biomaterial for implant applications.

Recent Trends in Morphology-Controlled Synthesis and Application of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

The outstanding journey towards the investigation of mesoporous materials commences with the discovery of high surface area porous silica materials, named MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter-41) according to the inventors' name Mobile scientists in the United States. Based on a self-assembled supramolecular templating mechanism, the synthesis of mesoporous silica has extended to wide varieties of silica categories along with versatile applications of all these types in many fields. These silica families have some extraordinary structural features, like highly tunable nanoscale sized pore diameter, good Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, good flexibility to accommodate different organic and inorganic functional groups, metals etc., onto their surface. As a consequence, thousands of scientists and researchers throughout the world have reported numerous silica materials in the form of published articles, communication, reviews, etc. Beside this, attention is also given to the morphology-oriented synthesis of silica nanoparticles and their significant effects on the emerging fields of study like catalysis, energy applications, sensing, environmental, and biomedical research. This review highlights a consolidated overview of those morphology-based mesoporous silica particles, emphasizing their syntheses and potential role in many promising fields of research.

Data on the current-voltage dependents of nickel hollow microspheres based thermo-electrochemical in alkaline electrolyte.

Low-grade waste heat harvesting and conversion into electric energy is an important way of renewable energy development and thermo-electrochemical cells are promising devices to solve this problem. In this paper, we report original data on the current density and maximum output power dependents on voltage of the thermos-cells with nickel hollow microspheres electrodes and different electrolyte concentration (from 0.1 to 3.0 mol/l)which exhibit excellent hypothetical Seebeck coefficient and accordingly high open-circuit voltage values at low source temperature. The composition, microstructure and morphology of the hollow nickel microspheres based electrodes are included here. Because of the low cost of nickel based thermo-cells could be commercially feasible for harvesting low-quality thermal energy, in this connection, the raw data of measurements of their properties are given here. The data is related to "High Seebeck coefficient thermo-electrochemical cell using nickel hollow microspheres electrodes", Burmistrov et al., Renewable Energy, 2020 [1].

Yellow Poplar Gasification Over Ni Silicate and Ni/Silica.

The activity of Ni silicates having different Ni/Si molar ratio (0.5 and 1) and Ni/silica were tested on biomass gasification. Ni silicate (Ni/Si= 0.5) and Ni/silica produced the higher gas yield than Ni silicate (Ni/Si = 1.0). The larger amount of H2 and CO were produced over Ni silicate (Ni/Si = 0.5) and Ni/silica compared those over Ni silicate (Ni/Si = 1.0). The catalysts were characterized using BET and XRD analysis. Ni silicate (Ni/Si = 0.5) showed promising activity for the production of syngas at higher temperature and can be employed in gasification.

Atmospheric Hydrodeoxygenation of Anisole to Hydrocarbons Over Ni Supported on Mesoporous Silica.

The HDO reaction was carried out using anisole at 300 °C in hydrogen under atmospheric pressure. Ni/meso-SiO2 and Nickel silicate catalysts with high nickel contents were used. The yield of hydrocarbons in the HDO reaction over the nickel silicate catalyst was high compared to that over the Ni/meso-SiO2 catalyst. In addition, the stability of the nickel silicate catalyst was excellent.

Hydrocarbons Production from m-Cresol as a Lignin Model Compound Over Nickel Silicate Catalysts.

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reactions under low/atmospheric pressure of hydrogen should be studied to solve the problem of the economics of the high-pressure hydrogen upgrading process. Therefore, in this study, the catalytic HDO reaction of m-cresol in atmospheric hydrogen pressure was evaluated using Ni/silica and Nickel silicate (Ni-MCM-41) catalysts. The Ni-MCM-41 catalyst exhibited higher conversion of m-cresol than Ni/silica. The high activity of the Ni-MCM-41 catalyst was due to the large specific surface area and the high nickel loading.

Ascorbic Acid-Assisted Microwave Synthesis of Mesoporous Ag-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanorods from Biowaste Seashells for Implant Applications.

Post-surgery implant infection is one of the most challenging issues in orthopedics and it is mainly caused by infective micro-organisms. A potential approach to overcome this issue is developing biomaterials with efficient antibacterial activity. The main intention of this present research is devoted to ascorbic acid-assisted microwave synthesis of mesoporous (silver) Ag-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods using biowaste seashells with antibacterial properties. XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy results revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles are hexagonal crystalline HAp. Further, the silver-doped HAp was also successfully produced without affecting the HAp crystalline phase by forming electrostatic interaction with PO43- ions during the synthesis. The morphological features confirm that the pure HAp is elongated mesoporous nanorods with 20 nm width and 300-500 nm length. However, silver doped HAp nanoparticles such as AgHA-1, AgHA-2, and AgHA-3 are found to be similar mesoporous rods but with different aspect ratios in sizes of 15, 10-15, and 5-10 nm width and 80-100, 10-15, and 20-30 nm length. The BET specific surface areas were obtained as 29 ± 3, 84 ± 2, 87 ± 2, and 128 ± 3 m2 g-1, and pore diameters were 4.68, 4.18, 9.30, and 3.77 nm, respectively, for pure HA, AgHA-1, AgHA-2, and AgHA-3. Therefore, HAp nanoparticles with different dimensions and mesoporous structures could be rapidly prepared using a microwave-assisted method and ascorbic acid as a supporting material. In addition, the synthesized HAp nanoparticles are analyzed for its antibacterial and cytotoxicity studies. The antibacterial and cytotoxicity study clearly reveals that the Ag-doped HAp nanorods are efficiently antibacterial and nontoxic in nature. Hence, it is clear that the ascorbic acid-enabled microwave-assisted method will be one of the best methods for the rapid production of HAp nanoparticles with different dimensions and mesoporous structures for its application as an implant material.

In-Situ Upgrading of Organosolv Lignin- and Cellulose-Derived Pyrolyzates Over Ce-MCM-41 Catalyst.

Lignocellulosic biomass, principally consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is a main renewable source for the production of biofuels and valuable chemicals. For instance, the polyaromatic structure of lignin fraction of biomass makes it a high potential feedstock for the production of valuable aromatic chemicals such as phenolic compounds. In this work, selective conversion of the organosolv lignin-derived pyrolyzates to alkylphenols was carried out using Ce-MCM-41 as In-Situ catalyst. Catalytic fast pyrolysis of the organosolv lignin was carried out on a tandem micro-pyrolyzer coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detectors. The refined pyrolytic vapor was mainly consisting of phenolics (phenol, alkylphenols, guaiacol and alkylguaiacols), monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene and xylenes), esters (formic acid ethyl ester, acetic acid methyl ester and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester), aldehydes (formaldehyde and methylbenzaldehyde), acids (hydroxyacetic acid and benzoic acids), furans (2-methylfuran and dihydrofuran) and ethanol. Our data showed that the selectivity of products was influenced by pyrolysis temperature (500, 550 and 600 °C). Maximum selectivity of alkylphenols (10.3%) was obtained at 550 °C. Besides In-Situ pyrolysis of organosolve lignin, the In-Situ upgrading of the cellulose-derived pyrolyzates was carried out using Ce-MCM-41 at 550 °C. In-Situ pyrolysis of cellulose using Ce-MCM-41 could obtain high selectivity of aldehydes (11.4%), furans (9.6%) and ketones (3.2%).

Hollow mesoporous organosilica nanospheres templated with flower-like micelles of pentablock copolymers.

We present a facile preparation of hollow mesoporous organosilica nanospheres with well-defined, uniform mesopores by controlling the morphology of pentablock copolymer templates under acidic conditions. The CBABC type poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-b-PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO-b-PLGA) pentablock copolymers were synthesized via a step-growth and ring-opening polymerization method using Pluronic F68 and F108 as macro-initiators. Two kinds of pentablock copolymers, (LA45GA12)EO75PO30EO75(LA45GA12) and (LA28GA9)EO141PO54 EO141(LA28GA9), were used as single soft templates to prepare mesoporous ethane-silica and benzene-silica hollow nanospheres by sol-gel chemistry in acidic aqueous solutions. The inner cavity diameter was controlled up to ∼20 nm by varying acidity and the chain length of the hydrophobic PLGA block without using additional swelling agents. The evolution of hollow nanospheres could be explained by single flower-like micelle template mechanism and the variation of morphology of pentablock copolymers upon solution acidity. Moreover, the amine-functionalized hollow benzene-silica nanospheres showed high carbon dioxide adsorption at ambient conditions. The hollow organosilica nanospheres were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, solid-state 13C- and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy and so on.

Synthesis of ordered Ca- and Li-doped mesoporous silicas for H2 and CO2 adsorption at ambient temperature and pressure.

Ca- and Li-doped mesoporous silicas have been prepared successfully using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant in basic media. Sol-gel synthesis and hydrothermal treatment produced highly ordered mesoporous Ca and Li loaded silica particles. The MCM-41 type mesostructures, the porosity, the pore sizes as well as the surface area of Ca- and Li-silicas have been thoroughly investigated using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 sorption analysis. Samples prepared with varying amounts of Li and Ca loading have been further analyzed using inductive coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with an energy dispersive spectral attachment (EDS), which confirmed quite a large amount of Ca while the amount of Li was not enough. Additionally, H2 and CO2 gas uptake studies of these metal-loaded silicas have been carried out using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) at normal temperature (25 °C) and pressure (1 atm). H2 uptake of up to 10 mmol g-1 by Ca-doped silica was recorded. CO2 and H2 selectivity were tested with both pure metal-MCM-41 and amine loaded silica using pure N2 gas and a mixed flow of CO2/N2 and H2/N2. The effect of temperature on CO2 uptake was also studied using Ca-MCM-41 materials.

Surfactant-assisted synthesis of ceria-titania-rich mesoporous silica materials and their catalytic activity towards photodegradation of organic dyes.

Ceria-titania doped highly ordered hexagonal and cubic mesoporous silica composite samples with varying amounts of Ce and Ti have been synthesized using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant as a template under basic conditions in the presence of ammonia. The removal of the template resulted in the formation of mesoporous composites doped with Ce and Ti, which were thoroughly characterized via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD), N2 adsorption, scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis with energy-dispersive spectrometry mapping (SEM-TEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectrometry (UV-visible). The electronic states of Ti and Ce species present on the surface of silica were also investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic activity of these Ti-modified ceria-silica samples for the photodecomposition of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation was investigated. The results revealed that a sample with a higher Ti content, as well as equal amounts of Ce and Ti, displayed higher catalytic activity for the photodegradation of the organic dye rhodamine B.

CO2 adsorption on amine-functionalized periodic mesoporous benzenesilicas.

CO2 adsorption was investigated on amine-functionalized mesoporous silica (SBA-15) and periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) samples. Hexagonally (p6mm) ordered mesoporous SBA-15 and benzene-PMO (BPMO) samples were prepared in the presence of Pluronic P123 block copolymer template under acidic conditions. Three kinds of amine-containing organosilanes and polyethylenimine were used to functionalize SBA-15 and BPMO. Small-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption isotherms showed that these samples featured ordered mesostructure, high surface area, and narrow pore size distributions. Solid-state (13)C- and (29)Si cross-polarization magic-angle spinning NMR spectra showed chemical linkage between amine-containing modifiers and the surface of mesoporous materials. The chemically linked amine-containing modifiers were found to be on both the inner and outer surfaces. N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine-modified BPMO (A2-BPMO) sample exhibited the highest CO2 uptake (i.e., ∼3.03 mmol/g measured on a volumetric adsorption analyzer) and the fastest adsorption rate (i.e., ∼13 min to attain 90% of the maximum amount) among all the samples studied. Selectivity and reproducibility measurements for the A2-BPMO sample showed quite good performance in flowing N2 gas at 40 mL/min and CO2 gas of 60 mL/min at 25 °C.