Factorial design on the development of spherical shaped silicas using surfactants as template.

Abstract

The sol-gel process is a synthesis method employed to produce materials of huge applications diversity such as protection coats, electrolytes, catalysis, biocatalysis, monodisperses spheres, biomimetic materials and hybrid glasses or to perform surfaces modifications. The sol-gel process often occurs under mild conditions and at room temperature. Due to its characteristics the silica particles obtained by this process have been studied as a suitable drug delivery system. Besides, the silica particles are chemically inert to the encapsulated substances, thus being highly cited in the literature as a potential carrier system.In this way the aim of this project is to develop an acquired synthesis methodology in order to obtain spherically shaped and nanometric silica particles, studying the influence of the different reaction parameters and their actions on the final products properties. There will be applied different surfactants in concentrations higher than critical micellar ones as templates to the particles in order to form the desired morphologies. The produced materials shall be characterized by Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Analysis, Surface Area, Pore Size, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Laser Light Scattering.