A comprehensive study was conducted on mesoporous MCM-41. Spectroscopic examinations demonstrated that three types of silanol groups, i.e., single, (SiO)3Si−OH, hydrogen-bonded, (SiO)3Si−OH-OH−Si(SiO)3, and geminal, (SiO)2Si(OH)2, can be observed. The number of silanol groups/nm2, αOH, as determined by NMR, varies between 2.5 and 3.0 depending on the template-removal methods. All these silanol groups were found to be the active sites for adsorption of pyridine with desorption energies of 91.4 and 52.2 kJ mol-1, respectively. However, only free silanol groups (involving single and geminal silanols) are highly accessible to the silylating agent, chlorotrimethylsilane. Silylation can modify both the physical and chemical properties of MCM-41.

The discovery of mesoporous molecular sieves, MCM-41, which possesses a regular hexagonal array of uniform pore openings, aroused a worldwide resurgence in this field. This is not only because it has brought about a series of novel mesoporous materials with various compositions which may find applications in catalysis, adsorption, and guest-host chemistry, but also it has opened a new avenue for creating zeotype materials. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the field of MCM-41. Beginning with the chemistry of surfactant/ silicate solutions, progresses made in design and synthesis, characterization, and physicochemical property evaluation of MCM-41 are enumerated. Proposed formation mechanisms are presented, discussed, and identified. Potential applications are reviewed and projected. More than 100 references are cited. 2079

We demonstrated a facile route for one-pot synthesis of visible light responsive nitrogen doped anatase TiO(2) sheets with dominant {001} facets from TiN. The synthesized anatase TiO(2) sheets show a strong and stable capability of generating photocatalysis active species of *OH radicals and hydrogen evolution from splitting water under visible light irradiation.