Effect of template-removing methods and modification to mesoporous blank silica and composited silica

A pluronic template of rod-like mesoporous silica was removed by extraction, calcination, and microwave digestion methods. The results of X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy spectra analyses confirmed that microwave digestion was the most efficient method to remove the template because of its convenience, speed, and effectiveness. The pore surface of rod-like SBA-15 was modified by an organic silane with terminal amino groups. Also Rhodamine 6G dye molecules were grafted onto the mesopore walls of rod-like SBA-15 before and after modification. Blue-shifts in photoluminescence, pore features in N2 adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy results of blank rod-like SBA-15, dye doping rod-like SBA-15 before and after modification confirmed that the mesoporous SBA-15 that had been modified by the organic silane with terminal amino groups was more effective for grafting of Rhodamine 6G molecules because the structures still remained as ordered mesostructures after grafting.