Preparation of Chiral Silica Nanostructures with Radial Pores through Single-templating Approach

Abstract

A chiral low-molecular-weight gelator (LMWG) L-16Ala5PyPF6 was synthesized from L-alanine, which can cause physical gel in n-propanol, ethyl acetate, butylene oxide, water, benzene, 1,4-dioxane and chloroform. The sol-gel reactions were carried out in a mixture of stronger ammonia water and n-propanol at the volume ratio of 2:8. Single-handed twisted silica nanostructures with pore channels vertical to the wall surfaces were first prepared through a single-templating approach comparing with the reported double template method. The formation mechanism of radial pore structure was studied by transmission electron microscopy at different reaction time intervals, which indicated that the radial pore structure was formed via a structural transition in the sol-gel transcription process.

Keywords

sol-gel preparation / radial pores / vertical pore channels / single-handed / structural transition

References

[1] Zha X, Chen Y, Fan H, Yang Y, Xiong Y, Xu G, Yan K, Wang Y, Xie Y, Wang D. Handedness Inversion of Chiral 3-Aminophenol Formaldehyde Resin Nanotubes Mediated by Metal Coordination[J]. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60(14): 7 759-7 769.

[2] Wang Y, Wang Y, Wang W, Zhu H, Liu M. Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxyl-terminated Polyethylene Glycol Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles[J]. J. Wuhan Univ. of Tech. -Mater. Sci. Ed., 2018, 33(6): 1 540-1 545.

[3] Yan X, Dai K, Mei P. Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica-zirconia Supported Phosphotungstic Acid and Its Catalytic Performance for Oxidative Desulfurization of Fuel[J]. J. Wuhan Univ. of Tech. -Mater. Sci. Ed., 2015, 30(2): 261-265.

[4] Ishitani H, Kanai K, Yoo WJ, Yoshida T, Kobayashi S. A Nickel-Diamine/Mesoporous Silica Composite as a Heterogeneous Chiral Catalyst for Asymmetric 1,4-Addition Reactions[J]. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58(38): 13 313-13 317.

[5] Li Z, Xu H, Wu D, Zhang J, Liu X, Gao S, Kong Y. Electrochemical Chiral Recognition of Tryptophan Isomers Based on Nonionic Surfactant-Assisted Molecular Imprinting Sol-Gel Silica[J]. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2019, 11(3): 2 840-2 848.

[6] Huang Y, Vidal X, Garcia-Bennett AE. Chiral Resolution using Supramolecular-Templated Mesostructured Materials[J]. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58(32): 10 859-10 862.

[7] Cai X, Du J, Zhang L, Li Y, Li B, Li H, Yang Y. Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Single-handed Helical Tetraphenylethylene-silica Nanotubes[J]. Chem. Commun., 2019, 55(81): 12 176-12 179.

[8] Yang Y, Suzuki M, Owa S, Shirai H, Hanabusa K. Control of Mesoporous Silica Nanostructures and Pore-architectures Using a Thickener and a Gelator[J]. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129(3): 581-587.

[9] Sun Y, Mao Y, Di N, Chen X, Qi D, Shentu B. Core-template-free Synthesis of Molecularly Ethane-bridged Hollow Mesoporous Silica Spheres from Acid-hydrolyzed Precursor[J]. New J. Chem., 2020, 44(33): 13 997-14 004.

[10] Cao X, Jia D, Li D, Cui L, Liu J. One-step Co-electrodeposition of Hierarchical Radial NixP Nanospheres on Ni Foam as Highly Active Flexible Electrodes for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction and Supercapacitor[J]. Chem. Eng. J., 2018, 348: 310-318.

[11] Wang Z, Wang W, Coombs N, Soheilnia N, Ozin GA. Graphene Oxide-Periodic Mesoporous Silica Sandwich Nanocomposites with Vertically Oriented Channels[J]. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(12): 7 437-7 450.

[12] Wang H, Wang J, Zhou H, Liu Y, Sun P, Chen T. Facile Fabrication of Noble Metal Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Hollow Silica with Radially Oriented Mesopores: Multiple Roles of the N-lauroylsarcosine Sodium Surfactant[J]. Chem. Commun., 2011, 47(27): 7 680-7 682.

[13] Zou H, Wang R, Shi Z, Dai J, Zhang Z, Qiu S. One-dimensional Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica Helical Nanotubes with Amphiphilic Properties for the Removal of Contaminants from Water[J]. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2016, 4(11): 4 145-4 154.

[14] Li Y, Li B, Yan Z, Xiao Z, Huang Z, Hu K, Wang S, Yang Y. Preparation of Chiral Mesoporous Silica Nanotubes and Nanoribbons Using a Dual-Templating Approach[J]. Chem. Mater, 2013, 25(3): 307-312.

[15] Zhang A, Hou K, Gu L, Dai C, Liu M, Song C, Guo X. Synthesis of Silica Nanotubes with Orientation Controlled Mesopores in Porous Membranes via Interfacial Growth[J]. Chem. Mater., 2012, 24(6): 1 005-1 010.

[16] Yan Z, Li Y, Wang S, Xu Z, Yang Y. Artificial Frustule Prepared Through a Single-templating Approach[J]. Chem. Commun., 2010, 46(44): 8 410-8 412.

[17] Ma C, Han L, Jiang Z, Huang Z, Feng J, Yao Y, Che S. Growth of Mesoporous Silica Film with Vertical Channels on Substrate Using Gemini Surfactants[J]. Chem. Mater., 2011, 23(16): 3 583-3 586.

[18] Kao K, Lin C, Chen T, Liu Y, Mou C. A General Method for Growing Large Area Mesoporous Silica Thin Films on Flat Substrates with Perpendicular Nanochannels[J]. J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2015, 137(11): 3 779-3 782.

[19] Xiong L, Bi J, Tang Y, Qiao SZ. Magnetic Core-Shell Silica Nanoparticles with Large Radial Mesopores for siRNA Delivery[J]. Small, 2016, 12(34): 4 735-4 742.

[20] Hu J, Guo YM, Li BZ, Li Y, Yang YG. Chiral Carbonaceos Nanotubes Prepared by Carbonization of Chiral Organic Self-assemblies[J]. Materials Letters, 2018, 221: 8-11.

[21] Chen Y, Li Y, Chen Y, Wu X, Zhang M, Li B, Yang Y. Preparation of Hollow Silica Spheres with Holes on the Shells[J]. Chem. Commun., 2009: 5 177–5 179

[22] Chen Y, Li B, Wu X, Zhu X, Suzuki M, Hanabusa K, Yang Y. Hybrid Silica Nanotubes with Chiral Walls[J]. Chem. Commun., 2008: 4 948–4 950

[23] Li B, Chen Y, Zhao H, Pei X, Bi L, Hanabusa K, Yang Y, From Branched Self-assemblies to Branched Mesoporous Silica Nanoribbons[J]. Chem. Commun., 2008: 6 366–6 368

[24] Chen Y, Guo Y, Zhao H, Bi L, Pei X, Li B, Yang Y. Handedness Inversion in Preparing Mesoporous Silica Nanoribbons[J]. Nanotechnology, 2008, 19: 355 603-355 608.

[25] Perry JL, Martin CR, Stewart JD. Drug-Delivery Strategies by Using Template-Synthesized Nanotubes[J]. Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17: 6 296-6 302.

[26] Zhou JM, Zhang WJ, Hong CY, Pan CY. Silica Nanotubes Decorated by pH-Responsive Diblock Copolymers for Controlled Drug Release[J]. ACSAppl. Mater. Interfaces, 2015, 7(6): 3 618-3 625.

[27] Yu Y, Qiu H, Wu X, Li H, Li Y, Sakamoto Y, Inoue Y, Sakamoto K, Terasaki O, Che S. Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Nanotubes with Radially Oriented Mesopores[J]. Adv. Funct. Mater, 2008, 18: 541-550.