In this study we synthesized a micro- and mesoporous material, SBA-16. And later on we functionalized it with octyltrimethoxysilane and octadecyltrimethoxysilane, respectively. The materials of SBA-16 and its functionalized form were characterized by nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77K, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and adsorption isotherms of single component n-heptane, toluene and water vapour. The data of FT-IR and TGA demonstrated the successful chemical modification of surface and porous wall of SBA-16 with different hydrocarbon chains. The results of SAXS, nitrogen adsorption at 77K, and adsorption isotherms of probe molecules revealed that the functionalized SBA-16 materials possessed relatively less regularity, smaller BET surface area and pore volumes, and lower adsorption capacities for the probe molecules compared to the original SBA-16. However, the functionalized SBA-16 materials showed much less affinity to polar molecules such as water. This work provides useful fundamental information for future study of novel mesoporous silica materials as potential drug delivery carriers.
Adsorption ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Porosity ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Surface Properties

OBJECTIVETo study the monomolecular coverage of the silane coupling agent gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (gamma-MPS) on the barium glass filler surface.

METHODSKubelka-Munk (K-M) function values of the isolated OH-groups on the barium glass filler surface, which were based on the change of gamma-MPS concentrations, were measured using the quantitative analysis of the diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. When all of the isolated OH-groups on the filler surface disappeared (where the K-M function values was zero), the monomolecular coverage of the gamma-MPS molecules on the filler surface was indicated by the linear regression analysis.

RESULTSThe relationship tallied with negative linear correlation between the K-M function values of the isolated OH-groups on the barium glass surface and the concentrations of gamma-MPS. Each gamma-MPS molecule occupied 0.21 nm(2) when the monomolecular coverage was formed on the barium glass surface.

CONCLUSIONSThe result of this study indicated the optimal amount of silane coupling agent on silanated barium glass filler during the production of resin composite.

Barium Compounds ; chemistry ; Composite Resins ; chemistry ; Dental Materials ; chemistry ; Methacrylates ; chemistry ; Silanes ; chemistry ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE: To study microstructure, friction and wear behaviors of silicon-lithium spray coating on the surface of zirconia ceramics and to preliminarily evaluate its esthetic so as to provide support and guidance for the clinical application. METHODS: Zirconia ceramic specimens were randomly divided into three groups: coating group (two subgroups), polishing group (two subgroups), and glazing group (four subgroups), with 10 samples in each subgroup. The two subgroups of coating group were the zirconia ceramics with the untreated and preliminary polishing surfaces sprayed with silicon-lithium coating, respectively. The two subgroups of polishing group were preliminary polishing and fine polishing of zirconia ceramics, respectively. The four subgroups of glazing group were preliminarily polished zirconia ceramics glazed with Biomic and Stain/Glaze products, respectively; and untreated zirconia ceramics glazed with Biomic and Stain/Glaze products, respectively. The above 8 subgroups of zirconia ceramic specimens were used as friction pairs with 80 steatite ceramics for 50 000 chewing cycles under 50 N vertical load and artificial saliva lubrication using chewing simulation. Scanning electron microscope was used to observe the microstructure of the surface and section of the coating group, and the thickness of the coating and glazing were measured. The linear roughness of the coating and polishing groups was mea-sured using a laser confocal scanning microscope. Vickers hardness was measured using a microhardness tester and the esthetic of zirconia ceramic full crown sprayed with silicon-lithium coating was preliminarily evaluated. White light interferometer was used to measure the width, the maximum depth and the volume of the wear scars of each group, and the wear depth of steatite ceramics and wear rate of zirconia ceramic specimens were calculated. Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test and Dunn's multiple comparisons test were used to analyze the wear depth of each group (α=0.05). RESULTS: The microstructures of the silica-lithium spray coatings on the untreated and preliminarily polished zirconia ceramic surfaces showed the protruding defects, and the line roughness of coating group was larger than that of the polishing group. The median thickness of the silica-lithium spray coating on the preliminarily polished zirconia ceramic was 13.0 μm (interquartile range, IQR: 11.6, 17.9), while that of the silica-lithium spray coating on the untreated zirconia ceramic was 4.4 μm (IQR: 4.1, 4.7). The Vickers hardness and wear rate of the coating group were between the polishing group and the glazing group. The wear depths of the wear scars of steatite ceramics were the glazing group, coating group, and polishing group in descending order, and there was statistically significant difference between glazing and polishing groups (P < 0.05). With the increase of polishing procedure, the wear depth of steatite ceramics decreased in each subgroups. The orders of maximum depth and volume of wear scars of zirconia ceramic were the glazing group, coating group, and polishing group in descending order, and there was statistically significant difference in the maximum depth of wear scars between glazing and polishing groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The silica-lithium spray coating on the zirconia ceramic, can be used as a new method for zirconia ceramic surface treatment, because it can increase the esthetic of zirconia ceramics compared with polishing and reduce the wear of steatite ceramics compared with glazing.
Humans ; Silicon ; Materials Testing ; Friction ; Lithium ; Cicatrix ; Surface Properties ; Silicon Dioxide ; Zirconium/chemistry* ; Ceramics ; Dental Porcelain

Porous silica was used as a carrier to prepare tanshinone solid dispersions (SDs). sThe effect of the spray drying method or the solvent method on the drug dissolution of SD was studied. The structure characteristics of SDs was analyzed by SEM, DSC,XPRD and FTIR. And in vitro dissolution was also investigated. The results showed that drugs were highly dispersed into SDs prepared by spray drying method and the solvent method in amorphous form. In addition, the results of the dissolution tested in vitro exhibited that the tanshinone I and tanshinone II A, accumulated dissolutions of SDs prepared using solvent achieved 80. 9% ,84. 6% and 86. 2% ,88. 7% within 45,60 min, respectively. And SDs prepared using spray-drying method were 92.7% ,95. 3% and 95. 8%, 97. 1% within 45,60 min, respectively. The tanshinone SDs were prepared successfully by spray drying method and solvent method. The SDs prepared by spray drying method was more conducive to improving the dissolution.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Porosity ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Pyrolysis of cellulose with different catalysts has been conducted in a fixed-bed reactor. Micro-mesoporous composite molecular sieves of ZSM-5(38)/A1-MCM-41 with different Si/A1 ratios were prepared under hydrothermal conditions. With powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), the catalyst samples were characterized. GC-MS was used to analyze the bio-oil composition. The effects of catalysts on the pyrolysis product yields were investigated and the results were compared with the results of experiments performed without catalyst under the same pyrolitic conditions. The presence of the catalysts decreased the liquid yield, while increased the moisture content. The major improvement in the quality of bio-oil with the use of catalysts was the increase of DL-2,3-Butanediol. ZSM-5(38)/A1-MCM-41(20) favored the formation of phenol and 2-methoxy-phenol. In addition, these catalysts were all benefit for the generation of small molecular compounds. Also, it was found that ZSM-5(38) was better for the production of C4-C5 compounds. And micro-mesoporous composite molecular sieves mainly promoted the production of C6-C8 compounds.
Catalysis ; Cellulose ; metabolism ; Plant Oils ; metabolism ; Refuse Disposal ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Zeolites ; chemistry

In order to improve its dispersion condition in dental composite resin and enhance its interaction with the matrix, single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWNTs) were refluxed and oxidized, then treated by APTE. Their outer surface were coated by nano-SiO2 particles using sol-gel process, then further treated by organosilanes ATES. IR and TEM were used to analyze modification results. TEM pictures showed nano-particles were on the surface of SWNTs; IR showed characteristic adsorbing bands of SiO2. Composite resin specimen with modified SWNTs was prepared and examined by TEM. SWNTs were detected in composite resin matrix among other inorganic fillers.
Composite Resins ; chemistry ; Dental Materials ; chemistry ; Humans ; Nanotubes, Carbon ; chemistry ; Resin Cements ; chemistry ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Surface Properties ; Tensile Strength

OBJECTIVETo investigate the methods of determining aluminum silicate coated on the surface of silica particles and analyze the role of surface occlusion on development of silicosis.

METHODSRespirable dust samples were collected on filters using 2 L/min flow in tungsten mines and pottery factories of Jiangxi province, and tin mines of Guanxi province. Dust particles were analyzed by a multiple-voltage scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (MVSEM-EDS) using 20 KeV and 5 KeV electron beam accelerating voltages. Changes in the silicon to aluminum X-ray line intensity ratio between the two voltages are compared particle by particle. This provided an index that distinguishes a silica particle that was homogeneously aluminum-contaminated from a clay coated silica particle.

RESULTSThe total of 3,982 dust particles from 47 dust samples of seven pottery factories, three tin mines and three tungsten mines were analyzed in this study. Significant difference of aluminum silicate coated on the surface of silica particle was shown between particles from pottery factories and tin mines. The average sample percentage of respirbale-sized silica particles alumino-silicate occlusion in the pottery factories (45%) was higher than that in the tin mines (18%) and tungsten mines (13%).

CONCLUSIONHigher percentages silica particles alumino-silicate occlusion is observed in the pottery factories than that in metal mines. These surface analysis results help to understand differences in risk of silicosis when exposure is normalized to cumulative respirable surface silica dust.

Aluminum ; analysis ; Dust ; analysis ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Mining ; Silicon ; analysis ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene (1,3,5-TMB) was used as the pore-enlarging modifier to expand the pore size of MCM-41 (mobil company of matter) mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The solvent impregnation method was adopted to assemble non-water-soluble β-carotene into the pore channel of MCM-41. The MCM-41 and drug assemblies were characterized by TEM, FT-IR, elemental analysis and N2 adsorption-desorption. The results showed that MCM-41 has good sphericity and regular pore structure. The research also investigated the optimal loading time, the drug loading and the vitro stability of the β-carotene. As a drug carrier, the modified MCM-41 showing a shorter drug loading time, the drug loading as high as 85.58% and the stability of β-carotene in drug assemblies has improved. The study of this new formulation provides a new way for β-carotene application.
Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Stability ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; beta Carotene ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Numerous approaches and materials have been explored for preparation of immobilization enzymes because they have considerable advantages over enzyme in bulk solution. Among present enzyme carriers inorganic materials have lower cost and more stability than organic materials. But the present inorganic materials contain less active sites and have to undergo some complicated processes before binding enzyme. So it is necessary to explore a new kind of inorganic enzyme carrier. Papain, a well characterized thiol protease kinetically and structurally, is a suitable model to compare the efficiency of various immobilization procedures. SiO2 particles containing amine groups were synthesized by synchronous hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAPS) in W/O Microemulsion of Triton X-100/cyclohexane/ammonium hydroxide system. The obtained particles have a diameter range from 0.3 microm to 0.5 microm, and their average size is 0.37 microm and can be controlled by adjusting water to surfactant molar ratio and water to TEOS and AEAPS molar ratio. Compared with traditional porous silica beads, these particles contain much more amine groups and their amine group content can be easily changed in the process of synthesis. Papain was immobilized on the particles which were treated by glutaraldehyde with covalent method. The optimum immobilization conditions of enzyme were as follows: enzyme load was 15 mg/g carrier, pH was 6.5. The pH and temperature optima were 6.5 and 70 degrees C for immobilized enzyme. All above indicate this kind of particle can be a good enzyme immobilization carrier.
Amino Acids ; chemistry ; Enzyme Stability ; Enzymes, Immobilized ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Papain ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Particle Size ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the dissolution characteristics of colloidal silica and porous silica as the solid dispersion carrier, with baicalin as the model drug.

METHODThe baicalin solid dispersion was prepared by the solvent method, with colloidal silica and porous silica as the carriers. In the in vitro dissolution experiment, the solid dispersion was identified by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning and X-ray diffraction.

RESULTThe solid dispersion carriers prepared with both colloidal silica and porous silica could achieve the purpose of rapid release. Along with the increase in the proportion of the carriers, the dissolution rate is accelerated to more than 80% within 60 min. Baicalin existed in the solid dispersion carriers in the non-crystalline form.

CONCLUSIONThe release behaviors of the baicalin solid dispersion prepared with two types of carrier were different. Among the two solid dispersion carriers, porous silica dissolved slowly than colloidal silica within 60 min, and they showed similar dissolutions after 60 min.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Colloids ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; instrumentation ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Porosity ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Solubility