Silylation of micro-, meso- and non-porous oxides: a review

Changing the surface characteristics of silicon or mixed Si-Al oxides has created new prospects in both catalysis and separation technology. This review presents the surface modification of these materials by silylation over a wide range of pore sizes. The influence on the porosity, the adsorption characteristics and thermodynamic background of these modifications are summarised. The reaction mechanisms are reviewed for a wide range of silylation reagents.