Formation and controlled degradation of mesoporous silica particles and films

Mesoporous silica particles and films can be used in e.g. catalysis and drug delivery.

Optimization of the materials’ pore characteristics and stability is crucial for its performance, and hence knowledge of the material formation is vital.

The presented project builds on my breakthrough in synthesis of particle-based, mesoporous films, and aims to answer the questions: (i) How do micelles and silica species evolve and interact to form mesoporous materials in solution and on substrates? (ii) Can the silica structure be tailored to have a controlled degradation behavior?In the project, I will combine in situ and ex situ experimental techniques with theoretical modelling.

The work is divided into three tasks: particle formation, film formation, and material degradation.

In task 1, in situ infrared spectroscopy and x-ray scattering will be combined with multiscale theoretical modeling to study the micelle evolution and its interactions with the silica precursor. Task 2 covers studies of how the micelles interact with substrates of different functionalities to enable film growth.

The micelle/substrate interface and the film growth will be both modelled and examined using spectroscopic techniques.

In task 3. the silica structure will be tuned by salt additions to control the material degradation rate, and thereby enable a controlled drug release from the particles and films. My approach offers a significant step in the ability to design nanostructures, especially mesoporous films.