Development of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers for drug delivery systems has increased exponentially during the last decade. The present work is focused on the synthesis of silica carriers by sol–gel from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursor of silica and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as pore generating agent. The synthesis conditions were modified varying the molar ratio of water/TEOS, NH3/TEOS and amount of CTAB. The silica particles were characterized by scan electron microscopy techniques (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, Zeta-potential and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The results show that the specific surface area and the porosity of silica particles were strongly affected by the addition of CTAB and the amount of H2O. The dispersion and stability of silica mesoporous particles is achieved in spite of the high surface reactivity. The synthesis formulation affects considerably to the particle morphology, which changes from spheres to rods when the molar ratio of H2O increases. A maximum specific surface area of 1480 m2/g was obtained with pore sizes ranging 2.5–2.8 nm

The development of anti-corrosion polymeric coatings has grown exponentially in the fields of material science, chemistry, engineering, and nanotechnology during the last century and has prompted the evolution of efficient characterization techniques. Nowadays, polymeric coatings represent a well-established protection system that provides a barrier between a metallic substrate and the environment. However, the increase in complexity and functionality of these coatings requires high-precision techniques capable of predicting failures and providing smart protection. This review summarizes the state of the art for the main electrochemical techniques, emphasizing devices that track the anti-corrosion properties of polymeric coatings from the macroscale to the nanoscale. An overview of the advances in accelerated corrosion testing and the electrochemical characterization of coatings is explored, including insights into their advantages and limitations. In addition, the challenges and potential applications of the theoretical approaches are summarized based on current knowledge. Finally, this work provides the reader with the trends and challenges of designing future technologies and models capable of tracking corrosion and predicting failures.

The preparation and properties of protective sol-gel coatings on metallic substrates are reviewed. Control of the coating microstructure is critical to obtain the desired properties and this requires optimisation of processing parameters that include sol composition, synthesis and processing conditions, deposition method and post-deposition sintering or curing. Current knowledge in these areas, e.g. structure-property-processing relationships, and the characterisation of the coatings produced are discussed. SiO2 layers have been found to confer good oxidation resistance, but for electrochemical corrosion resistance, mixed oxide layers or hybrid organicinorganic layers are required. Incorporation of alkylalkoxides with polymerisable groups attached has allowed synthesis of hybrid nanostructured coatings consisting of interpenetrating, chemically bonded organic and inorganic networks. Doping of hybrid sol-gel coatings with environmentally friendly inhibitors is also a promising approach combining barrier properties with active inhibition of corrosion. The potential to control functional properties such as biocompatibility is also briefly considered. It is concluded that both fundamental work on new coating compositions and the development of improved industrial technologies are priorities for future research. © 2007 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and ASM International.Peer Reviewe