Improvement of hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles synthesis by hard-templating method via CTAB surfactant

In this study, hollow mesoporous silicate nanoparticles using TEOS precursors in the presence of polystyrene template were synthesized. The process was performed in an alcohol-based chemical system and the addition of CTAB surfactant. The polystyrene template was used under controlled conditions having a spherical morphology with a uniform distribution and an average size of 50 nm. The results of the FTIR analysis showed that TEOS pre-cursor particles formed surface boundaries during the synthesis with CTAB surfactants, and also the presence of SiOSi bonds (in the 600 to 1320 cm−1 range) indicates the formation of silicate chains on Polystyrene templates. Thermal analysis studies showed that by using appropriate thermal treatment and precise control, organic compounds can be removed from the system and synthesize hollow mesoporous silicate particles with minimum structural defects at 280 °C. The BET analysis showed that the specific surface area of these particles is 1180 m2 g−1. X-ray diffraction results demonstrated that the resulting product was amorphous silica and unwanted phases were not formed in this system. The dynamic light scattering analysis illustrated that the synthesized particles had dimensions ranging from 1 to 10 nm, and the particle size distribution occurred within a narrow range. Scanning electron microscopy images confirm the nodularity of nanoparticles with a mean size of 25–30 nm. Finally, the transmitted electron microscope images showed that the synthesized silicate particles were hollow, so that the diameter of the hollow chamber and its total diameter were about 30 and 80 nm, respectively.