An extensive review on mesoporous silica from inexpensive resources: properties, synthesis, and application toward modern technologies

Mesoporous silica is emerging as a nanomaterial with potentially huge applications in the industrial sector, particularly in the fields of chemical catalysis, host-guest encapsulation, and adsorbents. These materials possess well-defined honeycomb-shaped pores that can be fine-tuned to suit adsorbing moieties of different molecular sizes, with adjustable release rates. The most significant drawback that hampers the commerciality of mesoporous silica-based processes is that the inorganic precursors used in the synthesis of these materials are quite expensive. These costs can be offset somewhat by using low-cost, renewable precursors from natural sources and recycling industrial wastes. In this review, we have collected some of the more recent laboratory attempts to prepare mesoporous silica material from low-cost precursors. Scientometric analysis was performed to find the potential of mesoporous silica manufacturing from ash sources. Various sources of mesoporous silica preparation and works related to them were explained in detail. This article also explores various techniques used for the development and gives a brief insight into the possible applications for mesoporous silica. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

Mesoporous silica is a nanomaterial that has great potential for applications in the chemical catalysis, host-guest encapsulation, and adsorbents industries. However, the high cost of inorganic precursors used in the synthesis of these materials hampers their commercial viability. This review explores recent laboratory attempts to prepare mesoporous silica materials using low-cost precursors and discusses the possibility of using ash sources for manufacturing mesoporous silica.