A systematic study of the use of DL-tartaric acid in the synthesis of silica materials obtained by the sol-gel method

DL-tartaric acid was used as a template for the formation of silica nanotubes and spheres by the sol-gel method from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source. The reactions were carried out in ethanol/water mixtures in the presence of aqueous ammonia, between 0degreesC and 75degreesC, using both stirred and non-stirred conditions. TEM and SEM images show that the yield and microstructure of the silica is influenced by the synthetic conditions (temperature, ammonia (aq) concentration, gelation time, solvent mixture). It was observed that the chiral form of the tartaric acid used and the diffusion of TEOS to the template determines the eventual silica structure.