Solution plasma for template removal in mesoporous silica: pH and discharge time varying characteristics

The evaluation of the ability of solution plasma process, SPP, depending on the pH of the discharge solution and discharge time for template removal in mesoporous silica was described. In the synthesis of mesoporous silica, ternary surfactant system containing tri-block copolymer EO20PO69EO20 (P123), sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and 1,1,2,13,3,4,4,4-nonafluoro-1-butyl sulfonate (NFBS) was chemically used for synthesis under acid condition via sol-gel method then SPP was employed for template removal. The ordered 2D hexagonal arrangement was observed by the evidence of high resolution TEM and the diffraction mode of X-ray. The efficiency of SPP depending on the pH of the discharge solution and discharge time was scientifically demonstrated as a function of BET surface area. In the case of pH dependence, it was achieved that the ability of template removal in acid and base solutions was clearly higher than those of such results in neutral solution. In the term of discharge time, moreover, the percentage of template removal comparing in the result of BET surface area increased as the increase in discharge time. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.