Functional nanoporous materials: Synthesis and adsorption behavior

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Nanomaterials with well-defined pores in the range of 1-100 nm, e.g. nanopores, are of special interest because of wide perspective of applications in environmental remediation, clean industrial catalysis, miniaturized electronic, magnetic or optical devices, and biocompatible transport systems. Ordered mesoporous materials, in particular, are defined as inorganic frameworks containing periodic arrays of large channels or cages comprised between 2 and 15 nm. Although substantial research efforts have been directed on studying these solids, further improvements aiming at designed synthesis, tailored functionalization, and characterization are still much needed. The primary objective of this program is to design specific mesoporous hybrid materials incorporating desirable functional groups with adequate structure and porosity for selective sorption/separation applications, heterogeneous catalysis, and biotechnological applications. This program follows research efforts initiated by us on the synthesis of functional mesoporous solids and their detailed characterization by adsorption methods. The research is oriented towards developing methodologies for the preparation and the functionalization of mesoporous materials comprising inorganic and organic components assembled at the nanoscale with optimal control of environment and spatial positioning of groups. Emphasis will also be put on assessing the performance of given functionalized materials for targeted applications and their adsorption behavior. Ordered mesoporous silica hosts offer high stability and diversity in framework structure, facilitating control of the disposition of guests. Depending on the targeted properties, different functionalization approaches will be applied (e.g. insertion of functional polymers, post-grafting with spatial positioning). Adsorption properties of the resulting porous solids will be studied by advanced gas adsorption analyses using different probes e.g. nitrogen, argon, CO2 , water, supplemented with studies of adsorption from liquid solutions. In addition to the technological aspects, the research program emphasizes fundamental understanding of host-guest interactions within solid matrices and adsorption phenomena at the nanoscale.