Advanced Functional Materials, Vol.11, No.2, 129-135, 2001
Spherical MSU-1 mesoporous silica particles tuned for HPLC
Among the mesoporous silica micellar templated structures (MTSs), MSU-X silica, obtained through an (NI0)-I-0 assembly between non-ionic polyethyleneoxide-based surfactants (N-0) and silica neutral inorganic precursors (I-0), exhibits a regular ordered structure with a 3D wormhole porous framework and an easily controlled pore size, These materials have been tested for applications requiring both a narrow mesopore size distribution and isotropic propel ties. A specific double-step synthesis that we developed recently for MSU-X materials has allowed us to prepare mesoporous silica particles with the required shape, size, and properties. Both the particles' synthesis and comparative HPLC separation tests with a commercial ungrafted silica HPLC powder of identical shape and size are reported.