Method of forming a particulate porous metal oxide or metalloid oxide

1. A method of forming a particulate porous metal oxide or metalloid oxide, the method comprising:

forming an acidic aqueous solution of a non-ionic surfactant and an ionic surfactant, wherein the non-ionic surfactant and the ionic surfactant self-assemble in the acidic aqueous solution to form a micelle and the ionic surfactant forms a core of the micelle;

adding to the solution a metal oxide precursor or a metalloid oxide precursor, thereby forming a reaction mixture, the reaction mixture comprising the micelle and the metal oxide precursor or the metalloid oxide precursor;

agitating the reaction mixture; and

heating the reaction mixture under reflux following agitation for a period of time sufficient to obtain a particulate porous metal oxide or metalloid oxide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein agitating the reaction mixture is carried out at an elevated temperature below the boiling point thereof for a period of time sufficient to allow a gel to form.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the reaction mixture under reflux following agitation is carried out in the presence of an alcohol.

4. The method of claims 1 , wherein the acidic aqueous solution further comprises an alcohol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide precursor or metalloid oxide precursor is an alkoxide.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the surfactant from the product obtained by heating the reaction mixture for a sufficient period of time.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein removing the surfactant is carried out by one of (i) calcining the product obtained by heating the reaction mixture under reflux for a sufficient period of time and (ii) extracting the surfactant from the product obtained by heating the reaction mixture under reflux for a sufficient period of time with a suitable solvent.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the solvent is ethanol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant is a polyether.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ionic surfactant is one of an ionic liquid and an alkyl ammonium salt.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein pH of the acidic aqueous solution is selected in the range from about pH 1 to about pH 6.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the acidic aqueous solution further comprises adding an alcohol.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant is used in a ratio between about 0.001 and about 0.007 to the metal oxide precursor or the metalloid oxide precursor.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ionic surfactant is used in a ratio between about 0.01 and about 0.04 to the metal oxide precursor or the metalloid oxide precursor.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the elevated temperature below the boiling point of the reaction mixture at which a gel is allowed to form is selected in the range from about 35 to about 65° C.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is a method of forming a UPLC matrix.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acidic aqueous solution further comprises an inorganic salt.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate porous metal oxide or metalloid oxide has one or more mesopores having a pore diameter ranging from about 2 nm to about 50 nm.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide precursor or the metalloid precursor are nanoparticles.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising immobilizing a molecule or moiety onto or into the particulate porous metal oxide or metalloid oxide.