Key Parameters to Tailor Hollow Silica Nanospheres for a Type I Porous Liquid Synthesis: Optimized Structure and Accessibility

Based on silica hollow nanospheres grafted with an ionic shell, silica-based type I porous liquids remain poorly exploited, despite their huge versatility. We propose here to explore the main synthesis step of these promising materials with a thorough characterization approach to evaluate their structural and porous properties. Modifying the main synthesis parameter, the mechanism of the spheres' formation is clarified and shows that the calcination temperature, the surfactant concentration as well as the micelle swelling agent concentration allow tuning not only the size of the nanospheres and internal cavities, but also the silica shell microporosity and, therefore, the accessibility of the internal cavities. This study highlights the key parameters of hollow silica nanospheres, which are at the basis of type I porous liquids synthesis with optimized structural and porous properties.

Automated summary

This study investigates the synthesis of silica-based type I porous liquids by modifying the main synthesis parameters to tune the size of the nanospheres and internal cavities, as well as the silica shell microporosity to control the accessibility of the internal cavities. The key parameters of hollow silica nanospheres for optimized structural and porous properties in the synthesis of type I porous liquids are highlighted in this research.