Surfactant-free Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Materials (Using Tetraetylorthosilicate and Oleic Acid): Preparation, Characterization, and Catalytic Applications

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), one of the important porous materials, have attracted enormous interest due to their exceptional physical and chemical properties. The present study describes a non-surfactant templating route to mesoporous silica materials with large surface areas (617 m2 g−1) and pore volumes (0.6374 cm3 g−1) using the oleic acid template that plays two important roles: as a catalyst for hydrolysis of silicon alkoxide and well-defined three-dimensional arrangement of silica nanospheres (as a natural). The silica was calcined and studied using several techniques such as FE-SEM, FT-IR, XRD, TEM, and BET. Afterward, the surfaces of the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were modified and used as a catalyst for synthesizing pyrazolopyranopyrimidines and pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d]dipyrimidines.