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Silica Network (silica + network)
Selected AbstractsOriginal Fuel-Cell Membranes from Crosslinked Terpolymers via a "Sol,gel" StrategyADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 7 2010Ozlem Sel Abstract Hybrid organic/inorganic membranes that include a functionalized (-SO3H), interconnected silica network, a non-porogenic organic matrix, and a -SO3H-functionalized terpolymer are synthesized through a sol,gel-based strategy. The use of a novel crosslinkable poly(vinylidene fluoride- ter -perfluoro(4-methyl-3,6-dioxaoct-7-ene sulfonyl fluoride)- ter -vinyltriethoxysilane) (poly(VDF- ter -PFSVE- ter -VTEOS)) terpolymer allows a multiple tuning of the different interfaces to produce original hybrid membranes with improved properties. The synthesized terpolymer and the composite membranes are characterized, and the proton conductivity of a hybrid membrane in the absence of the terpolymer is promising, since 8,mS cm,1 is reached at room temperature, immersed in water, with an experimental ion-exchange-capacity (IECexp) value of 0.4,meq g,1. Furthermore, when the composite membranes contain the interfaced terpolymer, they exhibit both a higher proton conductivity (43,mS cm,1 at 65 °C under 100% relative humidity) and better stability than the standard hybrid membrane, arising from the occurrence of a better interface between the inorganic silica and the poly[(vinylidene fluoride)- co -hexafluoropropylene] (poly(VDF- co -HFP)) copolymer network. Accordingly, the hybrid SiO2 -SO3H/terpolymer/poly(VDF- co -HFP) copolymer membrane has potential use as an electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell operating at intermediate temperatures. [source] Preparation of Uniform, Water-Soluble, and Multifunctional Nanocomposites with Tunable SizesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 5 2010Dechao Niu Abstract Novel, thiol-functionalized, and superparamagnetic, silica composite nanospheres (SH-SSCNs) with diameters smaller than 100,nm are successfully fabricated through the self-assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and polystyrene100 - block -poly(acrylic acid)16 and a subsequent sol-gel process. The size and magnetic properties of the SH-SSCNs can be easily tuned by simply varying the initial concentrations of the magnetite nanoparticles in the oil phase. By incorporating fluorescent dye molecules into the silica network, the composite nanospheres can be further fluorescent-functionalized. The toxicity of the SH-SSCNs is evaluated by choosing three typical cell lines (HUVEC, RAW264.7, and A549) as model cells, and no toxic effects are observed. It is also demonstrated that SH-SSCNs can be used as a new class of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes, having a remarkably high spin,spin (T2) relaxivity (r2*,=,176.1,mM,1 S,1). The combination of the sub-100-nm particle size, monodispersity in aqueous solution, superparamagnetism, and fluorescent properties of the SH-SSCNs, as well as the non-cytotoxicity in vitro, provides a novel and potential candidate for an earlier MRI diagnostic method of cancer. [source] Chemical alteration of tephra in the depositional environment: theoretical stability modellingJOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003A. M. Pollard Abstract The study of the chemical stability of vitreous material in aqueous media is well-established. There has to date been little consideration of the implications of variations in the chemical durability of tephra in Quaternary tephrochronology. Chemical alteration can take the form of cationic leaching from the matrix, or complete destruction of the silica network, either of which could constrain the ability to chemically identify distal tephra. Here we apply established models of vitreous durability to the published chemical analyses of a large number of Icelandic tephras in order to predict their relative durabilities under equivalent conditions. This suggests that some important tephras have relatively poor chemical stability, and that rhyolitic tephras are, in general, more stable than basaltic. We conclude that tephras should be expected to show predictable differential chemical stability in the post-depositional environment. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Green Nanocomposites from Renewable Resources: Biodegradable Plant Oil-Silica Hybrid CoatingsMACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 12 2003Takashi Tsujimoto Abstract Green nanocomposite coatings based on renewable plant oils have been developed. An acid-catalyzed curing of epoxidized plant oils with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane produced transparent nanocomposites. The hardness and mechanical strength improved by incorporating the silica network into the organic polymer matrix, and good flexibility was observed in the nanocomposite. The nanocomposites showed high biodegradability. [source] Preparation and properties of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane,polysiloxane copolymersAPPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2010Takahiro Gunji Abstract All siloxane-type siloxane,polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane [(HSiO3/2)8, T8H] copolymers were synthesized by the dehydrogenative condensation of T8H with diphenylsilanediol, tetraphenyldisiloxane-1,3-diol or silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes in the presence of diethylhydroxylamine followed by trimethylsilylation. Coating films were prepared by spin-coating of the coating solutions prepared from the dehydrogenative condensation products. The hardness of the coating films was evaluated by a pencil hardness test and was found to increase up to 6H with increases in the curing temperature. Silica gels were prepared by concentrating the coating solution following by pyrolysis. These silica gels showed a specific surface area 449 m2/g at 650 °C corresponding to the formation of a silica network in response to combustion of the phenyl groups. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evidence for a Size-Selective Adsorption Mechanism on Oxide Surfaces: Pd and Au atoms on SiO2/Mo(112)CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 10 2008Stefan Ulrich Sieving single atoms: The binding of single metal atoms to thin SiO2 films grown on Mo(112) depends on the size of the adatom. While Pd atoms are able to pass the nanopores in the silica network (see figure) and strongly bind to the Mo,SiO2 interface, Au atoms are too big for a penetration and interact only with line defects in the oxide surface. [source] Synthesis of high fluorescent silica hybrid materials by immobilization of orange peel extract in silica-silsesquioxane matrixJOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2009I. Lacatusu Abstract Sol,gel chemistry can be easily modified to the changing needs of society to produce fine-tuned sol,gel nanostructured materials for relevant applications. In this context, there is an increasing need for natural and versatile raw materials as well as biocompatible compounds that could be extensively used as biomarkers for bioimaging in diagnosis or therapy. Silica-based materials are widely used in the field of biomedicine due to their chemical inertness and biocompatibility. In the present paper, orange peel extract was immobilized inside inorganic silica and hybrid silica-silsesquioxane polymeric networks. Silica and organo-modified silica matrices were synthesized through a templated sol,gel route of TEOS and an organosilsesquioxane (octaisobutyltetracyclo[7.3.3.15,11] octasiloxane- endo -3,7-diol), with D -glucose as template, and for comparison a non-ionic surfactant (tetraethylene glycol mono-hexadecyl ether) was also used. The bioactive properties of the molecules from orange peel extract were preserved after immobilization in both silica and silica-silsesquioxane networks. Moreover, the fluorescence properties were amplified by 10,20 times more than the native orange peel extract. The structural properties of the final materials have been studied by FT-IR, UV,Vis-NIR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering measurements and transmission electron microscopy were used to estimate the size and morphology of the hybrid materials with orange peel extract immobilized in silica networks. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||