MESOPOROUS SILICA, PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE SAME, AND USE THEREOF

摘要

Mesoporous silica having highly hydrophobic properties, a process for producing the mesoporous silica whereby the mesoporous silica can be synthesized under mild conditions with the use of inexpensive materials, and ink absorbents and recording sheets having a high ink-absorptivity, and being excellent in water resistance and light resistance are provided. Accordingly, the invention provides: (1) mesoporous silica characterized by having an average pore diameter in the mesopore region of from 1.5 to 10 nm, a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area determined by the BET method of from 500 to 1400 m<2>/g and a monolayer adsorption of water at 25 DEG C of 1.7/nm<2> or more; (2) a process for synthesizing the mesoporous silica characterized by mixing and reacting active silica with a neutral template and removing the neutral template from the thus formed complex; (3) ink absorbents characterized by containing mesoporous silica; (4) ink absorbent slurries composed of the above-described ink absorbent and a solvent; and (5) recording sheets characterized by containing the above-described ink absorbent. <IMAGE>