Preparing Hydrophobic Mesoporous Silica as an Effective Pre-concentration Agent Under Humid Condition

We report a simple method for preparing hydrophobic mesoporous silica and its use as a pre-concentrating agent of gas analytes. Hydrophobic mesoporous silica was prepared by coating PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) thin layer on commercial mesoporous silica with thermal deposition method in a sealed chamber. By using this method, we were able to coat PDMS layer on inner-walls of pores larger than 15 nm. Also, contact angle measured on a surface consisting of PDMS-coated mesoporous silica exceeded $150^{\circ}$, implying that the surface has high water repellency. Pre-concentration ability of PDMS-coated mesoporous silica and baremesoporous silica was tested under dry and humid conditions. Adsorption and molecular desorption of gas analytes was much enhanced by PDMS-coating on mesoporous silica under both dry and humid conditions. Therefore we suggest that PDMS-coated mesoporous silica can be an efficient pre-concentration agent in order to enhance sensitivity of various detectors.