Biomimetic synthesis of mesoporous silica support with a three-dimensional large-pore ordered structure.

Mesoporous silica was used as a support to immobilize enzyme (laccase) that were important in chlorphenol degeneration research. To biomimetically synthesize the mesoporous silica with an ordered three-dimensional (3D),hexagonal structure,cationic surfactants,alkyltrimethylammonium bromides (CnTAB,n = 12,14,16,and 18) with different chain lengths and an amphoteric biological surfactant,Sodium N-dodecyl glycine (YCS),were used as mixed templates in a mixture of H2SO4 as the acid source and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica source. The biomimetic synthesizing was successful. Compared with traditional mesoporous silica support,the 3D hexagonal mesoporous silica had a larger pore diameter (5 -10 nm) and surface area. The adjacent pore channel occurred pore link. Using C16TAB or C18TAB along with YCS as mixed templates,mesoporous silica with a pore diameter of about 9 nm was obtained. Mesoporous silica with different morphologies and large pore diameter also provided excellent support for immobilizing laccase.