Effect of reaction parameters on the hydrolysis of tetramethyl orthosilicate and tetraethyl orthosilicate and their surface morphology in an ionic liquid

Silica with different morphologies is found to be an interesting class of material that receives significant attention nowadays. Here, we report a simple and efficient method for the room-temperature synthesis of silica spheres (20-80 μm sizes) in room-temperature ionic liquids (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate). The effect of reaction parameters such as pH, temperature, time, and solvent on the hydrolysis products and their morphology is described in this research paper. The morphology of the hydrolysis products of tetramethoxy silane and tetraethoxy silane are studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy. These results demonstrate a practical method for synthesizing smooth and rough surface silica spheres by modifying the reaction conditions. The confinement of the ionic liquid in the silica is studied with the help of Raman spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy.