Nanguo Liu

Synthesis and characterization of highly ordered functional mesoporous silica thin films with positively chargeable –NH2 groups

Highly ordered mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid silica thin films with covalently bonded, positively chargeable -NH2 terminal groups were synthesized by evaporation induced self-assembly of tetraethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane, and a nonionic surfactant under acid conditions and characterized using TEM, GISAXS, FTIR, SAW-based N2 sorption, and TGA.

Synthesis and characterization of highly ordered mesoporous thin films with -COOH terminated pore surfaces

Highly ordered mesoporous inorganic-organic hybrid thin films with covalently bonded carboxylic acid (-COOH) terminal groups on the pore surfaces were synthesized by evaporation induced self-assembly of tetraethoxysilane, organosilanes, and a nonionic surfactant followed by acid hydrolysis and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface acoustic wave (SAW) based N2 sorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques.

Synthesis and crystallographic structure of a novel photoresponsive azobenzene-containing organosilaneElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: crystallographic data of TSUA compound, including crystal data, atomic coordinates, bond length and bond angles, anisotropic displacement parameters, observed and calculated structure factors. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b3/b301569f/

A novel photoresponsive azobenzene-containing organosilane was synthesized via an isocyanato-amino coupling reaction, and its crystal structure was determined by X-ray crystallography.

Exploiting interfacial water properties for desalination and purification applications.

A molecular-scale interpretation of interfacial processes is often downplayed in the analysis of traditional water treatment methods. However, such an approach is critical for the development of enhanced performance in traditional desalination and water treatments. Water confined between surfaces, within channels, or in pores is ubiquitous in technology and nature. Its physical and chemical properties in such environments are unpredictably different from bulk water. As a result, advances in water desalination and purification methods may be accomplished through an improved analysis of water behavior in these challenging environments using state-of-the-art microscopy, spectroscopy, experimental, and computational methods.