What is claimed is:
1. Superficially porous particles, comprising:
non-porous inner cores; and
porous outer shells, comprising:
inner porous regions comprising ordered cylindrical pores substantially perpendicular to the non-porous inner cores, wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 15 to about 1000 Å;
outer porous regions comprising conical pores which extend to the surface of the particles and have a median conical pore size of about 150 to about 2500 Å, wherein the conical pores are in fluid communication with the cylindrical pores of the inner porous regions; and
wherein the median conical pore size is larger than the median cylindrical pore size.
2. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , wherein the median conical pore size is at least 50% larger than the median cylindrical pore size.
3. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 50 Å to about 800 Å.
4. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 100 Å to about 300 Å.
5. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , wherein the non-porous inner cores have a median size of from about 20% to about 99% of the median size of the superficially porous particles.
6. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , wherein the, non-porous inner cores comprise an inorganic oxide selected from silica, alumina, titania or zirconia.
7. The superficially porous particles of claim 1 , that have been surface modified with a surface modifier having the formula Z a (R′) b Si—R, wherein Z is selected from cl,Br, I, C1-C5 alkoxy, dialkylamino, trifluoroacetoxy and trifluoromethanesulfonate; a and b are each independently 0, 1, 2 or 3, provided that a+b=3; R′ is a C1-C6 straight, cyclic or branched alkyl group, and R is a functionalized group selected from alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, diol, amino-, alcohol, amide, cyano, ether, nitro, carbonyl, epoxide, sulfonyl, cation exchanger, anion exchanger, carbamate and urea.
8. A superficially porous particle, comprising:
a non-porous inner core; and
a porous outer shell, comprising:
an inner porous region comprising ordered cylindrical pores substantially perpendicular to the non-porous inner core, wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 15 to about 1000 Å;
an outer porous region comprising conical pores which extend to the surface of the particles and have a median conical pore size of about 150 to about 2500 Å, wherein the conical pores are in fluid communication with the cylindrical pores of the inner porous region; and
wherein the median conical pore size is larger than the median cylindrical pore size.
9. The superficially porous particle of claim 8 , wherein the median conical pore size is at least 50% larger than the median cylindrical pore diameter.
10. The superficially porous particle of claim 8 , wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 50 Å to about 800 Å.
11. The superficially porous particle of claim 8 , wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 100 Å to about 300 Å.
12. The superficially porous particle of claim 8 , wherein the non-porous inner core has a median size of from about 20% to about 99% of the median size of the superficially porous particle.
13. A method of making superficially porous particles, the method comprising:
subjecting substantially solid inorganic oxide particles selected from, silica, hybrid material, alumina, zirconia, or titania, in an aqueous solution to agitation for a time and a pH sufficient to pseudomorphically transform said particles, in the presence of a first cationic surfactant and a second anionic surfactant that together form micelles;
wherein the transformed particles comprise:
non-porous inner cores; and
porous outer shells, comprising:
inner porous regions comprising ordered cylindrical pores substantially perpendicular to the non-porous inner cores, wherein the median cylindrical pore size is from about 15 to about 1000 Å;
outer porous regions comprising conical pores which extend to the surface of the particles and have a median conical pore size of about 150 to about 2500 Å, wherein the conical pores are in fluid communication with the cylindrical pores of the inner porous region; and
wherein the median conical pore size is larger than the median cylindrical pore size.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and second surfactants are selected from block copolymers, alkyltrimethylammonium, alkyl phosphates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, sulfosuccinates and carboxylic acid surfactants.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first cationic surfactant has the formula (I):
C n H (2n+1) N(R) 3 + X − (I)
wherein n is an integer from 10 to 20, each R is a lower alkyl and X − is a counterion.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first cationic surfactant is selected from cetyl trimethylammonium bromide and octadecyl trimethylammonium bromide.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second anionic surfactant has the formula (II):
C n H (2n+1) OSO 3 − Y + (II)
wherein n is an integer from 10 to 20, and Y + is a counterion.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second anionic surfactant is selected from ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method is performed in the presence of a swelling agent.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the molar ratio of the first cationic surfactant to the second anionic surfactant is 2 or more.