Multinuclear Solid-state NMR Investigation of Nanoporous Silica Prepared by Sol-gel Polymerization Using Sodium Silicate

Multinuclear solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments were performed to investigate the local structure changes of nanoporous silica during hydrothermal treatment and surface modification with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES). The nanoporous silica was prepared by sol-gel polymerization using inexpensive sodium silicate as a silica precursor. Using $^1H$ magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra, the hydroxyl groups, which play an important role in surface reactions, were probed. Various silicon sites such as $Q^2$, $Q^3$, $Q^4$, $T^2$, and $T^3$ were identified with $^{29}Si$ cross polarization (CP) MAS NMR spectra and quantified with $^{29}Si$ MAS NMR spectra. The results indicated that about 25% of the silica surface was modified. $^1H$ and $^{29}Si$ NMR data proved that the hydrothermal treatment induced dehydration and dehyroxylation. The $^{13}C$ CP MAS and $^1H$ MAS NMR spectra of 3-APTES attached on the surface of nanoporous silica revealed that the amines of the 3-aminopropyl groups were in the chemical state of ${NH_3}^+$ rather than $NH_2$.