Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

Tetraethoxysilane(TEOS) as a silica precursor and hydrochloric acid as an acid catalyst have been used in a surfactant-template synthesis of micrometer-sized mesoporous silica microspheres based on the macroemulsion technique. Increase in the concentration of tetraethoxysilane of the reaction mixture has a serious destructive effect on the particle shape and pore structure. As the acid concentration increases, relatively small microspheres are formed without destroying their spherical morphology of the particles as well as the pore structures. However, due to the attractive interaction between particles in an acidic condition, strong silica agglomerates are formed, and therefore are subject to a post-ultrasonic treatment to separate into an individual single particle.

Keywords

Mesoporous silica microspheres,emulsion,surfactant,template synthesis,tetraethoxysilane,acid catalyst