Synthesis and Characterization of Zwitterionic SBA-15 Nanostructured Materials

The synthesis and characterization of novel SBA-15 nanostructured ceramics featuring zwitterionic surfaces have been carried out. The co-condensation route has been employed to bifunctionalize SBA-15 with amine and carboxylic acid groups. The functionalization process following a one-step route does not affect the mesostructural order of SBA-15, as confirmed by XRD and TEM, originating mesoporous matrices with outstanding features suitable for purposes that require host matrices with relatively large mesopores, surface areas, and volumes. The zwitterionic nature of this material has been evidenced by XPS, FTIR, and ζ-potential. Moreover the ultralow-fouling behavior of this zwitterionic ceramic toward the adsorption a model protein has been confirmed. This novel generation of zwitterionic ceramics has great potential application in catalysis, sensing, biotechnology, and biomedicine.