Particle Size and Pore Size Selection on Ordered Mesoporous Silica

Controlling both particle size and pore size is critical when using mesoporous silica for fundamental studies. Pore size can be adjusted by modifying the reaction conditions during synthesis, but achieving a narrow particle size selection can be challenging. However, by allowing mesoporous silica to sediment in water, we can take advantage of the fact that particles of different sizes settle at different speeds in liquid. This approach enables us to obtain mesoporous silica particles with the exact pore size but different particle sizes or particles with varying pore sizes but the same particle size. This fine-tuning of particle size and pore size ensures precise control of the properties of mesoporous silica and is essential for many applications in various fields.