Hydrothermal Stability in Mesostructured Silica/Surfactant Composites: The Role of Kinetic Barriers

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This starter grant award of the Chemistry Division to the University of California at Los Angeles supports the research of Professor Sarah Tolbert. The theme of the research is the study of kinetic factors controlling stability in ordered silica/surfactant mesostructured composites under hydrothermal conditions. These new materials consist of an organized organic component, which controls long-range periodicity, and an inorganic framework, which provides stability and strength. If the organic component is removed, phase transitions in the ordered mesoporous material produced can be followed in real time to gain insight into the kinetic factors controlling structure to reveal the interplay between organic packing constraints and the rigid inorganic silica framework. Real-time X-ray scattering and solid-state NMR spectroscopy are used to follow both structural change and silica framework condensation. The results of the experiments in this project will provide information that can be directly used in new syntheses of silica/surfactant composites. The ultimate goal of this work is to learn how to form new composite or mesoporous structures for specific applications, such as catalysis or chemical sensors.