Title of Paper:Nanoengineering of amino - functionalized mesoporous silica nanospheres as nanoreactors

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Date of Publication:2018-04-01

Journal:PROGRESS IN NATURAL SCIENCE-MATERIALS INTERNATIONAL

Included Journals:SCIE

Volume:28

Issue:2

Page Number:242-245

ISSN No.:1002-0071

Key Words:Mesoporous silica nanospheres; Nanoengineering; Nanoreactors; Catalysis

Abstract:Selective functionalization of mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) is crucial for nanoengineering of MSNs. Herein, we have combined "surface-protected etching strategy" and "cationic surfactant assisted etching strategy" to prepare functionalized MSNs with externally attached amino groups. The externally attached NH2 groups endow the catalysts with excellent catalytic performance for nitroaldol reaction between nitromethane and benzaldehyde. In addition, those NH2-MSNs can also be used to support gold nanoparticles, which display very good catalytic performance for reduction of 4-nitrophenol. It can be envisioned that the synthesis protocol developed in this work could also be extended to nanoengineered MSNs, which provides opportunities for nanoreactors design.