Air - Water Interface Self-assembled Silica Nano-films

Recently, the self-assembly technology of films is being a progressively concerned. In this paper, SiO₂-based air-water interfacial films with nano structure are templated by cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS) as precursor. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, Ultraviolet visible spectrum, Thermal gravity and Differential thermal analysis, Scanning electron microscope, Transmission electron microscope and Energy dispersive spectra are use to characterize the self-assembled films. The main contents are summarized as following:Mesoporous silica films are prepared with cationic surfactant as template. The reaction mechanic is discussed on the basis of experiments and the effect of surfactant on the control of process of the films is explained reasonably.The influence of difference conditions to the reaction, such as the type of surfactants and the pH value of the system, is discussed. The formation mechanism of the haracteristic morphologies of the films is also investigated.The investigations have been focused on the stability of the template when the films are soaked or calcined. The action mechanism has also been discussed.In addition, SiO₂/TiO₂ binary oxides films are self-assembled with the cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide as a template. XRD, TG, TEM and Raman are been used in the characterization of these films.