Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are porous nanomaterials that have two dimensions on the nanoscale, the pore size and the particle size. Many potential applications for mesoporous silica nanomaterials are being investigated including heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption of environmental contaminants and biomedical imaging and drug delivery. Mesoporous silica has either highly ordered pores such as those found in MCM-41 and SBA-15 or less-ordered pores such as raspberry or worm-like forms. Mesoporous silica typically has nanometer size pores resulting in very high surface areas. The silanol surface surface groups on mesoporous silica can be chemically modified to tailor the surface characteristics, such as hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, surface charge and/or biocompatibility for specific applications. For aqueous phase applications of mesoporous silica nanomaterials, it is critical to understand the molecular level interactions at the nanoparticle/water interface. The interactions of the surface functional group with interfaces of either water or water with environmental contaminants present were investigated using NMR techniques. Proton solution NMR experiments were performed including one and two-dimensional experiments, such as Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) and Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement Spectroscopy (NOESY). The solution NMR methods described here provide critically important molecular level details about surface functional groups in aqueous solution.

NMR studies of functionalized mesoporous silica nanomaterials in aqueous solution

248th National Meeting (2014)

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