Sugar-modified silanes : precursors for silica monoliths

Sugarsilanes, alkoxysilanes derived from sugars and sugar alcohols including glycerol, sorbitol, maltose and dextran, were hydrolyzed to prepare monolithic, mesoporous silicas. Unlike conventional alkoxysilanes such as tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), the sol–gel hydrolysis and cure rates of sugarsilanes were very sensitive to ionic strength, but not to pH: comparable rates of gelation were observed for any …