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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/C514580/1
Title: Novel hierarchical porous organosilica: synthesis, structure and dynamics
Principal Investigator: Khimyak, Professor YZ
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
AstraZeneca
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Liverpool
Scheme: First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts: 01 May 2005 Ends: 31 January 2008 Value (£): 123,036
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Chemical Synthetic Methodology Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Porous solids have found numerous applications in heterogeneous processes relying on the control of the sizes of the pore openings and the nature of different organic or inorganic functionalities incorporated in them. Such materials possess very complex structures with several spatially separated domains with distinctly different properties. In order to produce such solids nature resorts to a string of self-assembly processes governed by intermolecular interactions with different strengths.This proposal aims at the synthesis of novel porous silicas which will combine hierarchical arrangement of pores with hierarchical distribution of organic moieties varying in sizes, hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties and types of functional groups. We will synthesise porous solids combining meso- (pores of 25-200 A) and microporosity (pores up to 25 A). The templating approach, used in the synthesis, is based on non-covalent interactions between the organic surfactants and inorganic or organosilane precursors, leading to the formation of hybrid inorganic-organic solids. In these materials the hybrid walls are arranged around the arrays of the template. To obtain such functional solids it is essential to achieve control over the co-assembly of inorganic and organic precursors with command over the interface, structure and morphology in a resulting inorganic/organic hybrid nanocomposite at a molecular level. The hierarchical functionality in the pores will be achieved by fine-tuning of the hydrolysis-condensation reactions of the hybrid precursors (bridged organosilanes (R'O)3Si-R-Si(OR')3) to obtain secondary precursors units which would co-assemble in a singular structure in the presence of the organic templating species.We will also study the intermolecular forces responsible for the formation of complex porous solids. This will require the use of modern characterisation techniques which will provide information on the long-range structure of the products, the distribution of the organic moieties in the porous frameworks and the nature of organic/inorganic interfaces coexisting at different levels of their organisation. The challenge to this task is the limited long-range ordering in organosilica hybrids, and, therefore, methods sensitive to the local ordering need to be applied. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance will be used to determine the structure of the hybrid walls, identify the presence of the domains with different functionalities and to study the mobilities at different length scales.If successful, the project will have a major impact on the development of novel porous solids and understanding of the their complex structure. This in turn wilt be beneficial for the targeted application of porous organosilicas in molecular recognition processes focusing on biologically important guests.
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Organisation Website: http://www.liv.ac.uk