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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
InventorsDouglas A. Loy, Kenneth J. Shea
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A process for manipulating the porosity of silica using a series of organic template groups covalently incorporated into the silicate matrix. The templates in the bridged polysilsesquioxanes are selectively removed from the material by oxidation with oxygen plasma or other means, leaving engineered voids or pores. The size of these pores is dependent upon the length or size of the template or spacer. The size of the templates is measured in terms of Si-Si distances which range from about 0.67 nm to 1.08 nm. Changes introduced by the loss of the templates result in a narrow range of micropores (i.e. <2 nm). Both aryl and alkyl template groups are used as spacers. Novel microporous silica materials useful as molecular seives, dessicants, and catalyst supports are produced.
A method for rendering organic template group-bridged polysilsesquioxane material porous comprising:
A microporous engineered polysilsesquioxane derivative silica material having micropores of a substantially constant diameter, said micropores being less than 2.0 nm. in diameter, said silicate material being substantially devoid of organic template groups.
A method for producing microporous silica materials having a substantially constant diameter, wherein bis(triethoxysilyl) monomers having an aryl template group selected from the group comprising 1,4-phenyl, 4,4'-biphenyl, and 4,4"-terphenyl are hydrolyzed and condensed to form aryl template group-bridged polysilsesquioxane materials, the improvement comprising treating said polysilsesquioxane materials with an oxygen plasma at about 100 degrees C. for a time period sufficient to oxidize and remove said aryl template groups.
A method for rendering ethynyl or acetylene template group-bridged polysilsesquioxane material porous comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.