Probing the intrapore surface of phenyl-substituted nanoscale mesoporous silica-piezoelectric sorption measurements in thin films

The incorporation of organic moieties into siliceous frameworks leads to a wide variety of adsorbate-adsorbent interactions including weak van-der-Waal attractions as well as strong interactions such as Coulomb forces. Depending on the desired properties of such substituted highly porous matrix materials, optimized synthesis routes can be established to enhance the desired internal pore surface-affinity toward certain volatile compounds. On the basis of a fundamental knowledge of the host-guest system, sorption-related applications may benefit from individually fine-tuned and modified sample materials. The sorption isotherms of vaporized toluene on nonmodified and phenyl-functionalized mesoporous silica samples were determined on an acoustic wave device at different temperatures. The mesoporous silica was modified by in situ co-condensation and postsynthesis grafting approaches, respectively. All samples were thoroughly characterized by nitrogen sorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (Si-29 NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Raman spectroscopy, and toluene adsorption on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The different heats of adsorption of toluene on the various modified silica surfaces obtained by the sorption data make it possible to gain additional information about the degree and type of surface functionalization. It is thus demonstrated that QCM studies can be a powerful and convenient tool for efficient investigations of functionalized mesoporous silica particles that yield valuable quantitative information on molecule-surface interactions.