Facile route to functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles by click chemistry

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles containing clickable functions (azide or alkyne, 1 or 10 mol%) were synthesized by the sol-gel method directly from molecular precursors using CTAB as structure directing agent. Their structures were discussed on the basis of TEM, DLS, SAXS, N(2)-sorption analyses, FTIR, Raman and elemental analysis. The success of their functionalization by pyrene derivatives using CuAAC reactions opens new perspectives in the synthesis of functional MSNs for applications as nanomachines.