Biomimetic Synthesis of Free-standing Silica Membranes at the Air-Water Interface

Free-standing silica membranes were prepared at the air-water interface by biomimetic synthesis technology from the hydrolysis of tetraethyoxysilane (TEOS) under the templating of assemblies of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Time was chosen, the material ratio used in the membrane-growing process that determined the qualities of membranes was optimized. Membrane formation can be considered to involve polymerization of silicates in surfactant head group regions of a hexagonal mesophase that is concentrated at the liquid surface overstructure.