Controlled polymerization in mesoporous silica toward the design of organic-inorganic composite nanoporous materials.

Free-radical polymerization inside mesoporous silica has been investigated in order to open a route to functional polymer−silica composite materials with well-defined mesoporosity. Various vinyl monomers, such as styrene, chloromethyl styrene, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and methacrylic acid, were polymerized after impregnation into mesoporous silicas with various structures, which were synthesized using polyalkylene oxide-type block copolymers. The location of the polymers was systematically controlled with detailed structures of the silica framework and the polymerization conditions. Particularly noteworthy is the polymer−silica composite structure obtained by in situ polymerization after the selective adsorption of monomers as a uniform film on silica walls. The analysis of XRD data and the N2 adsorption isotherms indicates the formation of uniform polymer nanocoating. The resultant polymer−silica composite materials can easily be post-functionalized to incorporate diverse functional groups in high de...