Mesoporous SBA-15 materials were functionalized with amine groups through postsynthesis and one-pot synthesis, and the resulting functionalized materials were investigated as matrixes for controlled drug delivery. The materials were characterized by FTIR, N(2) adsorption/desorption analysis, zeta potential measurement, XRD, XPS, and TEM. Ibuprofen (IBU) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were selected as model drugs and loaded onto the unmodified and functionalized SBA-15. It was revealed that the adsorption capacities and release behaviors of these model drugs were highly dependent on the different surface properties of SBA-15 materials. The release rate of IBU from SBA-15 functionalized by postsynthesis is found to be effectively controlled as compared to that from pure SBA-15 and SBA-15 functionalized by one-pot synthesis due to the ionic interaction between carboxyl groups in IBU and amine groups on the surface of SBA-15. However, SBA-15 functionalized by one-pot synthesis is found to be more favorable for the adsorption and release of BSA due to the balance of electrostatic interaction and hydrophilic interaction between BSA and the functionalized SBA-15 matrix.

Thiol-and amino-functionalized SBA-15 silicas with uniform mesoporosities were prepared and employed for removing heavy metal ions from waste water; the thiolated SBA-15 adsorbent exhibited a higher complexation affinity for Hg 2+ , while the other metal ions (Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cr 3+ and Ni 2+ ) showed exceptional binding ability with its aminated analogue.

An in-depth assessment of properties of core–shell catalysts and their application in the thermocatalytic, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 into synthesis gas and valuable hydrocarbons.

The CO 2 (dry) reforming of methane (DRM) reaction is an environmentally benign process to convert two major greenhouse gases into synthesis gas for chemical and fuel production. A great challenge for this process involves developing catalysts with high carbon resistance abilities. Herein we synthesize, for the first time, a yolk−satellite−shell structured Ni−yolk@Ni@SiO 2 nanocomposite for the DRM reaction by varying the shell thickness of Ni@SiO 2 core shell nanoparticles. The formation of Ni−yolk@Ni@SiO 2 is proved to be shell thickness dependent. Compared with Ni@SiO 2 , Ni− yolk@Ni@SiO 2 with 11.2 nm silica shell thickness shows stable and near equilibrium conversion for CH 4 and CO 2 for 90 h at 800 °C with negligible carbon deposition. The dual effects of formation of small satellite Ni particles due to strong Ni−SiO 2 interactions and yolk shell structures contribute to its high activity and stability. These findings shed light on the design of other metal yolk silica shell nanocomposites to be utilized in renewable energy transfer processes such as DRM reactions driven by solar energy.

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