Dendrimers as alternative templates and pore-directing agents for the synthesis of micro- and mesoporous materials

Dendrimers have been used to control the pore size and morphology of porous materials during their synthesis. Various characterization techniques have also been used to validate the formation of mesoporosity. Materials such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and other co-polymers are commonly used as templates for the synthesis of mesoporous materials. However, advantages of using dendrimers as templates for the synthesis of mesoporous materials include: (1) ease of control of the final pore size (depending on the dendrimer employed); (2) ease of removal of the dendrimer template by a simple extraction method or calcination process, which does not strongly interact with the inorganic species; (3) the monodispersed structure of the dendrimer leads to the formation of monodispersed pores with a narrow size distribution; and (4) the synthetic process require room (or relatively low) temperatures as opposed to elevated temperatures used for other surfactants. This mini-review is therefore focussed on the use of dendrimers as templating or pore-directing agents for the synthesis of micro- and mesoporous materials. The catalytic application of the mesoporous materials as heterogeneous supports is also discussed.