Formation of a new Ia(3)over-bard cubic meso-structured silica via triblock copolymer-assisted synthesis

A new mesoporous silica structure with cubic Ia3d symmetry has been synthesized. The structure has very large unit cell dimensions, up to 250 Å in the as-synthesized form and 222 Å after calcination, and the surface area is around 700 m2/g. The syntheses were done according to well-established synthesis conditions with the triblock copolymers Pluronics P103 or P123, except for the addition of NaI to the synthesis mixture. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed that the sample has Ia3d symmetry. According to electron micrographs, the structure is similar to that of MCM-48, and we thus propose that the structure lies on the gyroid minimal surface. Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society.