ABSTRACT - Pine - 9871970 Professors D.J. Pine and B.F. Chmelka will develop new monolithic porous materials containing a combination of pores of mean diameter ranges 2-50 nm and 0.1-10 micron. The dual pore construction will be achieved with a method that combines two processes: monodisperse emulsion templating of polymerizable inorganic precursors to fabricate the macropores, and amphiphilic surfactant-guided self-assembly of the precursors to produce the mesopores. Subsequent gelation, drying, and heat treatment will lead to the monoliths. The synthetic methods for the hierarchically ordered pore structures will allow control of the size and geometry for each range independently, and for a wide spectrum of inorganic oxide compositions (silica, alumina, titania, zirconia, oxides of antimony, tungsten, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, lead, and gallium). The templating technique will also permit functional modification of the framework surfaces. Novel catalytic substrates, sensors, passive or active filters, or optical materials, may result. Physicochemical characterization of the synthesized materials will involve NMR, x-ray scattering, gas adsorption and optical measurements. Chemical reaction characterization will consist of the hydrogenation of styrene-butadiene over dispersed Pt in the mesopores, and the polymerization of propylene over Zr-metallocene-functionalized mesopores. The separation properties of the materials will be affected by incorporating unsaturated hydrocarbon or cationic sites (to increase affinity to aromatic or halogen groups, respectively), or by incorporating mercaptoalkylsilanes (to strongly adsorb heavy metals). The optical and sensor properties will be tuned by functionalization with II-VI semiconductor species within the large pore structure (to create infrared photonic optical materials). The grant will also support an international exchange between UCSB and Bordeaux, with the laboratory of Prof. Jerome Bibette, which has expertise in formulat ion production, and processing of monidisperse emulsions. The primary mechanism of cooperation will be through graduate student extended reciprocal visits.
