Tunable mesoporosity and hydrophobicity of natural rubber/hexagonal mesoporous silica nanocomposites

摘要: Abstract Polymer/silica nanocomposites with diverse mesoporosity and hydrophobic properties have actual potential applications in the area of catalysis, adsorption drug delivery. The present work reports a simple but efficient approach to tune mesostructure hydrophobicity natural rubber (NR)/hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) synthesized via situ sol-gel technique presence different primary amines (CnH2n+1NH2, n = 8, 10, 12, 14 16) as structural templating agents. change ordering textural NR/HMS template sizes was similar that for pure HMS series. Powder X-ray diffraction transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed an expansion hexagonal unit cell channel wall thickness due incorporated molecules. Using amine templates longer alkyl chains provided materials higher NR content at 13.7–15.6 wt% decreased phase dispersion properties. photoelectron spectroscopy indicated amount exposed composite's surface 7.99–9.48 wt%, while remaining into mesostructured silicate framework and/or entrapped mesopores. interaction between molecules probably crucial factor determined dispersion, so character, nanocomposites.