Around 1998, Chen Xiaoming's research team initiated studies on the combination of mesoporous materials and metal - organic frameworks (MOFs). They attempted to integrate the advantages of the pore - channel structure of mesoporous materials with the functionality of MOFs. Through co - assembly, they prepared composite materials with hierarchical pore structures and special functions, providing new ideas for the composite and functional development of mesoporous materials.
Chen Xiaoming
In 1999, the South Korean scientist Ryoo used mesoporous materials as hard templates and successively replicated CMK - 1, CMK - 2, and CMK - 3 mesoporous carbon molecular sieve materials using MCM - 48, SBA - 1, and SBA - 15 as templates. This method provided a feasible route for the synthesis of non - silica - based mesoporous materials such as noble metals, metal oxides, and sulfides, greatly enriching the types of mesoporous materials.
Ryoo
During the period from 1992 to 1999, based on the liquid - crystal template model, Scientists from various countries in the world proposed a more detailed model for the synthesis of mesoporous materials. It was believed that charge matching actually occurred between organic and inorganic ions at the interface. Even when the amount of surfactant used was less than the critical micelle concentration for the formation of rod - shaped micelles, the mesoporous structure could still be formed. A composite model of silicate anions and surfactants was also proposed.
3. The Deepening and Expansion Period (Early 21st Century - Present
Around 2000, American scientist Peter T. Tanev believed that mesoporous silica could be formed through hydrogen - bond interactions between the hydrophilic groups (S0) of amine - salt surfactants and hydrolyzed TEOS (I0). Using this mechanism, mesoporous materials such as silica, alumina, and titania could be synthesized. The obtained mesoporous silicates had thicker pore walls and higher thermal stability. He also synthesized Ti - HMS titanium - doped mesoporous molecular sieves, which showed potential application value in the catalytic field.
Japanese scientist Takashi Tatsumi: During the period from 2000 to 2005, he achieved remarkable results in the regulation of the catalytic performance of mesoporous molecular sieves. In 2002, he used chemical modification methods to functionalize the pore - channel surfaces of mesoporous molecular sieves, introducing specific acidic or basic sites to precisely regulate the acidity and alkalinity of the molecular sieves, thereby optimizing their selectivity in various catalytic reactions. In alkylation reactions, the modified mesoporous molecular sieves exhibited higher selectivity for the target product than traditional catalysts, significantly improving the reaction efficiency and economic benefits and promoting the application of mesoporous materials in the field of fine - chemical catalysis.
In 2003, Zhao Dongyuan proposed the concept of "acid - base pairs". Using acid - base - paired inorganic precursors, a series of non - silica mesoporous materials were synthesized through "self - regulating" acidity control in a non - aqueous system. This provided a universal method for the synthesis of mesoporous materials of multiple oxides and promoted the development of mesoporous materials towards diversification.
From 2003 to 2005, Yu Jihong's research team achieved a breakthrough in the synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves. They developed a new template - free method for synthesizing mesoporous molecular sieves. By precisely controlling conditions such as the acidity and alkalinity of the reaction system, temperature, and reaction time, they successfully prepared mesoporous molecular sieves with specific pore - channel structures, simplifying the synthesis process and reducing production costs.
Yu Jihong
Since 2005, Japanese scientist Ryoji Kanno”has focused on the research of mesoporous materials derived from metal - organic frameworks (MOFs). In 2008, he innovatively used MOF materials as precursors and prepared mesoporous carbon, mesoporous metal oxides, and other materials with unique pore - channel structures and high specific surface areas through means such as pyrolysis. These materials not only inherited the structural advantages of MOFs but also exhibited excellent adsorption, separation, and catalytic properties. In the field of gas adsorption, the mesoporous carbon materials derived from MOFs had an adsorption capacity for carbon dioxide far exceeding that of conventional adsorbents, providing a new material solution for greenhouse gas capture and utilization.
Susumu Kitagawa
Scientists have been committed to developing new synthesis technologies to precisely control the pore size and pore - wall thickness of mesoporous materials. A synthesis method based on pulsed - electric - field assistance was invented, which could form highly ordered mesoporous structures in an extremely short time. Moreover, the pore size could be precisely controlled to vary between 1 - 20 nm by adjusting the electric - field parameters, providing a brand - new technical means for the preparation of high - performance mesoporous materials.
Around 2005, a new synthesis method for mesoporous molecular sieves was developed. Using special organic templates and specific conditions, mesoporous molecular sieves with uniform pore sizes and good pore - wall crystallinity were synthesized. From 2010 to 2015, in - depth research was carried out on the application of mesoporous materials in the field of adsorption and separation. Through surface chemical modification, mesoporous materials could selectively adsorb organic molecules and metal ions, contributing to environmental protection and resource recovery.
From 2005 to 2010, the team of American scientist Chad A. Mirkin combined DNA nanotechnology with mesoporous materials. They modified the surfaces of mesoporous materials with DNA strands of specific sequences. This enabled the materials to specifically recognize biomolecules and achieve highly sensitive detection of biomarkers, expanding the application of mesoporous materials in biomedical detection and providing ideas for the development of new biosensors.
Chad A. Mirkin
From 2005 to 2010, Zheng Nanfeng's research team focused on the preparation and performance research of mesoporous metal materials. They used the wet - chemical method to reduce metal salts in mesoporous templates and prepared highly dispersed mesoporous metal nanoparticles. These mesoporous metal materials exhibited excellent performance in reactions such as electrocatalysis and hydrogenation catalysis, providing new material options for the application of mesoporous materials in the field of energy catalysis.
Zheng Nanfeng
Korean scientist Sang Il Seok has focused on the research of mesoporous - structured solar cells since 2006. Through methods such as solvent engineering and component engineering, he successfully obtained high - quality, defect - free, and phase - structure - stable perovskite films. At the same time, by using interface engineering to reduce carrier recombination, in 2017, he increased the photoelectric conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells to 22.1%, setting multiple world records for organic/inorganic perovskite solar cells and greatly promoting the application and development of mesoporous materials in the field of solar cells.
Sang Il Seok
From 2008 to 2012, Japanese scientist Ryoji Kanno used the sol - gel method combined with template technology to prepare various metal oxides such as mesoporous cerium dioxide and zinc oxide, precisely regulating their pore - size and other parameters, and found that they had unique properties in the fields of catalysis and sensing. From 2015 to 2020, he carried out research on the composite of mesoporous materials and nanostructures, such as the composite of mesoporous silica and metal nanoparticles, to optimize their catalytic performance in organic synthesis.
Ryoji Kanno
From 2010 to 2015, Fu Qiang's research team was committed to the application research of mesoporous materials in the field of environmental remediation. They prepared mesoporous materials loaded with photocatalytically active substances for the degradation of organic pollutants in water and the removal of harmful gases in the air. By optimizing the structure of mesoporous materials and the loading method, the photocatalytic efficiency was improved, providing new materials and technical solutions for solving environmental pollution problems.
Fu Qiang.
Fu Qiang
From 2010 to 2015, the team led by German scientist Markus Antonietti developed a method for in - situ growth of functional polymers in the pore channels of mesoporous materials. First, mesoporous silica was prepared, and then monomers were introduced for polymerization. The polymer - modified materials were used in organic reactions such as esterification, improving the stability of active sites and regulating product selectivity, providing a new strategy for fine - chemical catalysis.
Markus Antonietti
From 2010 to 2015, American scientist John B. Goodenough focused on the application of mesoporous materials in battery electrodes. He used mesoporous titania in the negative electrode of lithium - ion batteries and found that the mesoporous structure could shorten the diffusion path of lithium ions, increase the contact area between the electrode and the electrolyte, and improve the charge - discharge rate and cycle stability of the battery, providing new ideas for the design of high - performance battery materials.
John B. Goodenough
During the same period, American scientist Charles M. Lieber was committed to the development of nano - electronic devices based on mesoporous materials. His team precisely controlled the structure of mesoporous silicon and prepared high - performance mesoporous silicon - based field - effect transistors, improving carrier - transport efficiency and reducing power consumption. They also explored the composite of mesoporous materials and nanowires, opening up a new direction for the development of mesoporous materials in nano - electronics.
Charles M. Lieber
