Novel method to load nanoparticles into mesoporous materials:: Impregnation of MCM-41 with ZnS by compressed CO2

A new route to fabricate a ZnS/MCM-41 (a molecular sieve) composite has been proposed. In this method, the ZnS nanoparticles are first synthesized in the reverse micelles of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (ACT) in isooctane, and then the ZnS nanoparticles are charged into the mesoporous material with the aid of antisolvent CO2. The ZnS/MCM-41 composites obtained are characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, LTV-vis absorption, thermogravimetry analysis, and photoluminescence. The results confirm the presence of ZnS in the pores of the molecular sieve. This method has some potential advantages in comparison to the conventional methods. We believe that this new method can be used to prepare some other nanoparticle/mesoporous material composites.