Taiyo Shimizu

Synthesis of robust hierarchically porous zirconium phosphate monolith for efficient ion adsorption

Hierarchically porous monolithic materials are advantageous as adsorbents, catalysts and catalyst supports due to the better accessibility of reactants to the active sites and the ease of recycle and reuse. Traditional synthetic routes, however, have limitations in designing hierarchical porosity as well as the mechanically stable monolithic shape in inorganic phosphate materials, which are useful as adsorbents and catalysts. We present a low-temperature, one-step liquid phase synthesis of hierarchically porous zirconium phosphate (ZrP) monoliths with tunable compositions (from Zr(HPO4)2 (Zr : P = 1 : 2) to NaSICON (Na super ionic conductor)-type ZrP (Zr : P = 1 : 1.5)) as well as macropore size (from 0.5 to 5 μm). The as-synthesized ZrP monolith with a high reactive surface area (600 m2 g−1) and relatively high mechanical strength (Youngs modulus 320 MPa) was applied to ion adsorption. A simple syringe device inserted tightly with the ZrP monolith as a continuous flow setup was demonstrated to remove various toxic metal ions in aqueous solutions, which shows promising results for water purification.

Silicone-Based Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Aerogels and Xerogels

Aerogels are attracting increasing attention due to their high thermal insulation ability as well as unique properties such as high porosity, surface area, and transparency. However, low mechanical strengths, originating from their unique porous structure, impede handling, formability, mass production, and extended applications. This minireview focuses on the strengthening of aerogels by several organic-inorganic hybridization strategies. In particular, successful strengthening methodologies, which employ organo-substituted alkoxysilanes as the single precursor for the sol-gel preparations, developed by the authors are highlighted. Moreover, improvements in compressive strength and elasticity lead to monolithic aerogel-like xerogels through ambient pressure drying. Correlations between structures in different length scales (e.g., molecular, network, and pore structure levels) and resultant mechanical properties are discussed for further understandings and better design toward mechanically improved aerogels/xerogels and their applications.

Transparent, Superflexible Doubly Cross-Linked Polyvinylpolymethylsiloxane Aerogel Superinsulators via Ambient Pressure Drying

Aerogels have many attractive properties but are usually costly and mechanically brittle, which always limit their practical applications. While many efforts have been made to reinforce the aerogels, most of the reinforcement efforts sacrifice the transparency or superinsulating properties. Here we report superflexible polyvinylpolymethylsiloxane, (CH2CH(Si(CH3)O2/2))n, aerogels that are facilely prepared from a single precursor vinylmethyldimethoxysilane or vinylmethyldiethoxysilane without organic cross-linkers. The method is based on consecutive processes involving radical polymerization and hydrolytic polycondensation, followed by ultralow-cost, highly scalable, ambient-pressure drying directly from alcohol as a drying medium without any modification or additional solvent exchange. The resulting aerogels and xerogels show a homogeneous, tunable, highly porous, doubly cross-linked nanostructure with the elastic polymethylsiloxane network cross-linked with flexible hydrocarbon chains. An outstanding combination of ultralow cost, high scalability, uniform pore size, high surface area, high transparency, high hydrophobicity, excellent machinability, superflexibility in compression, superflexibility in bending, and superinsulating properties has been achieved in a single aerogel or xerogel. This study represents a significant progress of porous materials and makes the practical applications of transparent flexible aerogel-based superinsulators realistic.

Transparent Ethenylene-Bridged Polymethylsiloxane Aerogels: Mechanical Flexibility and Strength and Availability for Addition Reaction

Transparent, low-density ethenylene-bridged polymethylsiloxane [Ethe-BPMS, O2/2(CH3)Si-CH═CH-Si(CH3)O2/2] aerogels from 1,2-bis(methyldiethoxysilyl)ethene have successfully been synthesized via a sol-gel process. A two-step sol-gel process composed of hydrolysis under acidic conditions and polycondensation under basic conditions in a liquid surfactant produces a homogeneous pore structure based on cross-linked nanosized colloidal particles. Visible-light transmittance of the aerogels varies with the concentration of the base catalyst and reaches as high as 87% (at a wavelength of 550 nm for a 10 mm thick sample). Gelation and aging temperature strongly affect the deformation behavior of the resultant aerogels against uniaxial compression, and the obtained aerogels prepared at 80 °C show high elasticity after being unloaded. This highly resilient behavior is primarily derived from the rigidity of ethenylene groups, which is confirmed by a comparison with other aerogels with similar molecular structures, ethylene-bridged polymethylsiloxane and polymethylsilsesquioxane. Applicability of the addition reaction using a Diels-Alder reaction of benzocyclobutene has also been investigated, revealing that a successful addition takes place on the ethenylene linkings, which is verified using Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopies. Insights into the effect of molecular structure on mechanical properties and the availability of surface functionalization provided in this study are important for realizing transparent aerogels with the desired functionality.

Transparent polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels: investigations on synthetic parameters and surface modification

Systematic investigations on the effect of synthetic conditions onto the properties of polyvinylsilsesquioxane (CH2=CHSiO3/2) aerogels have been conducted. As previously reported, transparent polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels can be obtained by utilizing a liquid surfactant as a solvent and a two-step sol–gel reaction involving hydrolysis catalyzed by a strong acid and subsequent polycondensation by a strong base. In this study, effects of base catalyst, gelation and aging conditions, amount of surfactant and concentration of acid catalyst have been investigated. With the optimized synthetic condition, the value of light transmittance reaches as high as 70% (at the wavelength of 550 nm for a 10-mm thick sample). Applicability of addition reactions utilizing thiol-ene reactions and hydrosilylation has also been surveyed. Thiol-ene reactions are relatively effective and can modify surface hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels. In the case of hydrosilylation, a partial addition of a hydrosilane compound onto the polyvinylsilsesquioxane gel surface can be observed. Addition reactions, in particular thiol-ene reactions, are found to be profitable for implementing chemical functionality on the transparent aerogels.Graphical Abstract

Aerogels from Chloromethyltrimethoxysilane and Their Functionalizations

Reactions of chloromethyltrimethoxysilane (CMTMS) and its derived colloidal network polychloromethylsilsesquioxane (PCMSQ) have been investigated to extend the material design strategy toward functionalized and mechanically reinforced aerogels. In a carefully designed sol-gel system, CMTMS has afforded transparent aerogels in the presence of cationic surfactant. The surface chloromethyl groups with polarity and reactivity are shown to be useful for supporting nanostructures, with photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) prepared from polyethylenimine and citric acid as an example. Furthermore, since nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reactions on the surface chloromethyl groups are found to control the equilibrium of formation/dissociation of siloxane bonds, a new gelation strategy triggered by SN2 reactions in sol-gel has been developed. In the presence of nucleophilic organic species such as polyamines, a hybrid network consisting of PCMSQ cross-linked with a polyamine nucleophile can be prepared to enhance mechanical properties of aerogel.

Hybrid silicone aerogels toward unusual flexibility, functionality, and extended applications

AbstractHere, we overview the developments in the past decade made on organic–inorganic hybrid aerogels and xerogels based on silicone (polyorganosiloxanes) through persistent works by the authors to increase the mechanical strength and flexibility and add functionality. Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ, CH3SiO3/2) has been found to show unusual strength and flexibility against compression, and their bending properties can also be improved by several strategies. Silicone-based networks with organic bridges between inorganic moieties are also beneficial for these improvements. In particular, organic bridges with a higher fraction and more extended length have been found to allow higher durability against large deformations. In addition, functional groups such as vinyl, chloromethyl, and amino can readily be introduced by starting from organoalkoxysilanes with these functional substituents (e.g., FG−Si(OR)3 or (RO)3Si−FG−Si(OR)3, where FG shows an organic substituent containing functional groups and R is typically methyl or ethyl), and other functional groups such as carboxyl can be introduced by post-gelation modifications on the pre-installed FG in the network. Possibilities in applications such as thermal insulators, photoluminescent media, and photocatalysts are also discussed. HighlightsSilicone-based organic–inorganic hybrid aerogels developed by the authors are overviewed.Improved mechanical flexibility allows ambient pressure drying to yield aerogel-like xerogels.Reactive organic functional groups can be introduced in the hybrid networks.