Polyamine-based Amphiphilic Polymers as Template for the Production of Porous Silica

Porous silica is produced in the chemical industry through hydrothermal processes which require the presence of amphiphilic molecules as scaffolds, high temperature and pressure conditions and caustic chemicals[1]:

 

 

In the nature highly ordered silica structures are found in the exoskeletons of diatoms[2]. The formation of these structures occurs at ambient conditions under kinetic and structural control by nitrogen-containing biomolecules such as silaffin, a polypeptide which contains polyamine side chains[3]. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanism of biomineralization processes in order to design novel templates for the condensation of silicic acid under mild conditions.

Fig. 1: Thalassiorira
weissflogii
  

The aim of this project is the production and characterization of novel bioinspired templates by controlled polymerization techniques which must be tested with respect to their behaviour in aqueous media and finally in terms of their activity in the condensation of silicid acid.

[1] J. Y. Ying, C. P. Mehnert, M. S. Wong, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 38 (1999) 56-77
[2] E. Bäuerlein, Angew. Chem. 6 (2003) 636
[3] N. Kröger, S. Lorentz, E. Bruner, M. Sumper, Science 298 (2002) 584