Monodisperse core-shell structured magnetic mesoporous aluminosilicate nanospheres with large dendritic mesochannels

The rational design and precise synthesis of multifunctional hybrid nanostructures with a tailored active core and a large, dendritic, modified mesoporous structured shell can promote catalysis, energy storage, and biological applications. Here, an oil-water biphase stratification coating strategy has been developed to prepare monodisperse magnetic dendritic mesoporous silica core-shell structured nanospheres. These sophisticated Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@dendritic-mSiO₂ nanospheres feature large dendritic open pores (2.7 and 10.3 nm). Significantly, the silica shells can be converted into dendritic mesoporous aluminosilicate frameworks with unchanged porosity, a Si/Al molar ratio of 14, and remarkably strong acidic sites, through a post-synthesis approach. In addition, the resultant magnetic dendritic mesoporous aluminosilicate nanospheres exhibit outstanding properties and promising application in phosphate removal from wastewater. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]