Method for producing fine mesoporous silica particles, fine mesoporous silica particles, liquid dispersion of fine mesoporous silica particles, composition containing fine mesoporous silica particles and molded article containing fine mesoporous silica particles

Fine mesoporous silica particles with a plurality of mesopores, comprising a plurality of convexities on particle surfaces of the fine mesoporous silica particles, wherein the fine mesoporous silica particles are modified on surfaces thereof with organic functional groups via siloxane bonds, the convexities are formed by protrusions of particle components and have wall surfaces separate from wall surfaces of the mesopores, the convexities are made principally of silicon oxide, a protruding height of the convexities is at least 1 nm but not more than 30 nm and the fine mesoporous silica particles are obtained by the method comprising:

• preparing a surfactant composite fine silica particle in which a surfactant, water, an alkali and a hydrophobic part-containing additive including a hydrophobic part for increasing a volume of micelles are mixed with a silica source to thereby prepare surfactant composite fine silica particles;
• and
• forming a mesoporous particle in which the surfactant composite fine silica particles are mixed with an acid and an organosilicon compound having a siloxane bond in a molecule to thereby remove the surfactant and hydrophobic part-containing additive from the surfactant composite fine silica particles and provide a surface of each silica fine particle with an organic functional group via siloxane bonds.