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Technology and Engineering
- ISSN: 2333-2581
- Modern Environmental Science and Engineering
Synthesis and Characterization of Hybrid Mesoporous Materials to Be Used as Environmental Sensors
Pierantonio De Luca, Mattia Sicilia, Danilo Vuono and Janos B. Nagy
Department of Ingegneria per l’Ambiente ed il Territorio e Ingegneria Chimica, University of Calabria. Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87030 Rende, Italy
Abstract: Mesoporous hybrid materials containing pH indicator molecules were prepared and characterized in order to test their ability to fulfill the role of environmental sensors. Modifications of MCM-41 silica was made by contacting inorganic matrix in aqueous solution containing a predetermined amount of dyes or including organic species directly into the synthesis gel. The latter seems to be the most suitable method to obtain organo-functionalized silica. This process of color changing was found to be reversible and also showed that the hybrid (organic–inorganic) materials are permeable to gases.
Key words: hybrid mesoporous materials, MCM-41, mesoporous materials, pH indicators
