Use of Enzyme as a Structure Directing Agent in Preparation of Nano-Porous Silica

In this study, Cetyl Pyridinum Chloride (CPC) as a model surfactant and -amylase as a new structure ordering agent was used in preparation of porous silica using sol-gel method and their effect in porosity creating and structure ordering compared with each other and with silica witch synthesized in lake of template. Usefulness of new template is leading to the large inter-particle and structural porosity which first on facilitates transport phenomena and the second leads to suitable support for immobilization of large particles of catalysts such as enzymes. Synthesized supports using templates (CPC and enzyme), contrary to silica witch synthesized without template, was more regular and had higher specific surface area. In spite of lower specific surface area of new support in compare to CPC-templated silica (720 vs. 900 m2/g), initial tests showed that the new support is more suitable for immobilization of large molecules such as -amylase and enzyme loading in new support was more than about 1.4 times.