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Self-assembly of a silica–surfactant nanocomposite in a porous alumina membrane

Nature Materials volume 3, pages 337–341 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

A mesoporous membrane composed of nanochannels with a uniform diameter has a potential use for precise size-exclusive separation of molecules. Here, we report a novel method to form a hybrid membrane composed of silica–surfactant nanocomposite and a porous alumina membrane, by which size-selective transport of molecules across the membrane becomes possible. The nanocomposite formed inside each columnar alumina pore was an assembly of surfactant-templated silica-nanochannels with a channel diameter of 3.4 nm; the channel direction being predominantly oriented along the wall of the columnar alumina pore. Molecules could be transported across the membrane including the silica–surfactant nanocomposite with a capability of nanometre-order size-exclusive separation. Our proposed membrane system has a potential use not only for separation science, but also catalysis and chip technologies.

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Figure 1: SEM images of the alumina membrane with columnar structures inside the alumina pores.
Figure 2: Typical N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms for the alumina membrane.
Figure 3: TEM images of the alumina membrane with the silica–surfactant nanocomposites inside the columnar alumina pores.
Figure 4: Time-dependent transport of molecules through the alumina membrane.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Eiji Aoyanagi and Yuichiro Hayasaka, High-Voltage Electron Microscope Laboratory, Tohoku University, and Shun Ito, Analytical Research Core for Advanced Materials, Institute for Material Research, Tohoku University, for SEM and TEM measurements. We also thank Hiroaki Misawa, Hokkaido University, for useful discussions about alumina membranes. This work was supported in part by a Grant in Aid for Scientific Research (No. 14204074, No. 13129201, No. 15750062) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, JSPS-RFTF (Research for the Future Program from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), and the Asahi Glass Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. Tatsuya Uchida

    Present address: School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Hachioji, 190-0392, Japan

  2. Yoshihiko Tanamura

    Present address: Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan

    Akira Yamaguchi, Fumiaki Uejo, Takashi Yoda, Tatsuya Uchida, Yoshihiko Tanamura, Tomohisa Yamashita & Norio Teramae

  2. CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Sendai, 980-8578, Japan

    Akira Yamaguchi & Norio Teramae

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  1. Akira Yamaguchi
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Correspondence to Norio Teramae.

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Yamaguchi, A., Uejo, F., Yoda, T. et al. Self-assembly of a silica–surfactant nanocomposite in a porous alumina membrane. Nature Mater 3, 337–341 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1107

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