Mesoporous Nanoparticles

• US 20080287288A1
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Inventors: Ying, Jackie Y., Han, Yu
• Application Number:
  US11/631,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20080287288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 502/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/10 for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/18 for HIV
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 5/00 Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/12 Antihypertensives
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/08 Silica
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 29/0308 Mesoporous materials not having base exchange properties, e.g. Si-MCM-41
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/647 2-50 nm
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 37/00 Compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 37/02 Crystalline silica-polymorphs, e.g. silicalites dealuminated aluminosilicate zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for making mesoporous nanoparticles. The process comprises providing an acidic mixture comprising a fluorocarbon surfactant, a second surfactant and a silica precursor. The silica precursor is then reacted to form the mesoporous nanoparticles.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A process for making mesoporous nanoparticles comprising:

providing an acidic mixture comprising a fluorocarbon surfactant, a second surfactant and a silica precursor; and

reacting the silica precursor to form the mesoporous nanoparticles.

33. The process of claim 32 wherein the acidic mixture is an aqueous mixture.

34. The process of claim 32 wherein the acidic mixture has a pH between about 0.5 and about 5

35. The process of claim 32 wherein the fluorocarbon surfactant is cationic.

36. The process of claim 32 wherein the second surfactant is an alkylene oxide block copolymer surfactant.

37. The process of claim 32 wherein the silica precursor comprises a hydrolysable silane.

40. The process of claim 32 wherein the step of preparing the acidic mixture comprises combining the silica precursor with an acidic surfactant mixture.

41. The process of claim 40 wherein the ratio of silica precursor to acidic surfactant mixture is between about 1:

100 and about 1;

2 on a w/w, v/v or w/v basis.

42. The process of claim 32 wherein the step of reacting the silica precursor comprises at least one of hydrolysing the silica precursor and condensing the silica precursor to form the mesoporous nanoparticles.

43. The process of claim 32 wherein the step of reacting the silica precursor comprises steps of:

agitating the acidic mixture for sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature for at least partial hydrolysis of the silica precursor to form a hydrolysate; and

maintaining the mixture, or emulsion, at a temperature and for a time sufficient for reaction of at least one of the silica precursor and the hydrolysate to form the nanoparticles.

44. The process of claim 43 wherein the step of agitating is conducted between about 10 and about 80°

C. for between about 5 and about 50 hours.

45. The process of claim 43 wherein the step of maintaining the mixture is conducted at between about 70 and about 150°

C. for between about 10 and 100 hours.

46. The process of claim 32 additionally comprising at least partially separating the nanoparticles from a fluid in which they are located.

47. The process of claim 46 additionally comprising washing the nanoparticles with a washing liquid.

48. The process of claim 46 also comprise heating the nanoparticles to between about 500 and about 1000°

C. for between about 1 and about 20 hours.

49. Mesoporous nanoparticles when made by the process of claim 32.

54. Use of a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 49, or a plurality thereof, for an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.

55. A mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 49, or a plurality thereof, when used in an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.

56. A catalyst comprising a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 49, or a plurality thereof, said nanoparticle(s) having a catalytic species associated therewith.

57. The catalyst of claim 56 wherein the catalytic species is an enzyme.

58. A method for catalysing a reaction comprising exposing a starting material to a catalyst according to claim 56, whereby the catalytic species of the catalyst is capable of catalysing the reaction of the starting material to a product.

59. A method for producing a product comprising exposing a starting material to a catalyst according to claim 56, whereby the catalytic species of the catalyst is capable of catalysing a reaction of the starting material to the product.

60. A product when made by the process of claim 59.

61. A nanoparticle according to claim 49, said nanoparticle having a species selected from the group consisting of a drug, a gene and a protein associated therewith.

62. Use of a nanoparticle according to claim 61 for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a condition selected from the group consisting of cancer, AIDS, arthritis, diabetes, hormonal disfunction, hypertension and pain.

50. A mesoporous nanoparticle having a particle size between about 1 and about 500 nm and a mean pore size between about 1 and about 50 nm, said nanoparticle being made by a process comprising providing an acidic mixture comprising a fluorocarbon surfactant, a second surfactant and a silica precursor, and reacting the silica precursor to form the mesoporous nanoparticles.

51. The mesoporous nanoparticle of claim 50 wherein the pore size is between about 10 and about 50 nm.

63. A mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 50, or a plurality thereof, when used in an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.

64. A catalyst comprising a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 50, or a plurality thereof, said nanoparticle(s) having a catalytic species associated therewith.

67. A nanoparticle according to claim 50, said nanoparticle having a species selected from the group consisting of a drug, a gene and a protein associated therewith.

69. Use of a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 50, or a plurality thereof, for an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.

52. A mesoporous nanoparticle having a particle size between about 32 and about 500 nm and having a mesostructure selected from the group consisting of 3-D cubic, 3-D foam-like, 2-D hexagonal and wormlike, said nanoparticle being made by a process comprising providing an acidic mixture comprising a fluorocarbon surfactant, a second surfactant and a silica precursor, and reacting the silica precursor to form the mesoporous nanoparticles.

53. The mesoporous nanoparticle of claim 52 wherein the pore size is greater than about 10 nm.

65. A mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 52, or a plurality thereof, when used in an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.

66. A catalyst comprising a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 52, or a plurality thereof, said nanoparticle(s) having a catalytic species associated therewith.

68. A nanoparticle according to claim 52, said nanoparticle having a species selected from the group consisting of a drug, a gene and a protein associated therewith.

70. Use of a mesoporous nanoparticle according to claim 52, or a plurality thereof, for an application selected from the group consisting of catalysis, gas adsorption, synthesis of quantum dots and magnetic nanoparticles in functional materials and bioimaging applications, and as carriers for drugs, genes and proteins for biomedical applications.