Recent progress in the synthesis and selected applications of MCM-41: a short review

Recent progress in the synthesis and applications of MCM-41 based mesoporous materials is reviewed. Since the independent discovery in the early 1990s by groups in the Japan and USA of the formation of mesostructured silica using surfactants as structure directing agents, a variety of alternative synthesis routes have been proposed. These include the use of ionic (both cationic and anionic) surfactants, neutral surfactants based on block and star diblock copolymers, non-surfactant organic compounds and the Stober process for synthesizing silica spheres. The unique properties of MCM-41 based silica materials make them attractive candidates for applications in catalysis, production of novel materials by encapsulating metals, semiconductors and biofluids. Particular attention is given to the use of these composites in biotechnology including biosensors, biocatalysis and drug delivery.