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Discrete mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNSs) with a narrow size distribution were prepared by a newly developed method, which is based on the emulsion system containing Si(OEt)4 (TEOS), water, cationic surfactant, and basic amino acid under weakly basic conditions (pH 9−10). The average 20 nm sized discrete MSNSs have uniform craterlike mesopores about 3 nm in diameter. The size of the discrete spheres can be regulated in the range of 15−200 nm by, for example, changing the stirring rate in the synthesis stage. Furthermore, introduction of tetrahedrally coordinated Ti species onto the pore of MSNSs and their catalytic performance in epoxidation of different-sized alkenes, cyclohexene, cis-stilbene and caryophyllene were also demonstrated.

Self-assembly reactions of di{4-(5-pyrimidyl)phenyl}dimethylsilane and -germane with (ethylenediamine)palladium dinitrate in ratio of 1:2 led to the formation of new octahedral supramolecules containing group 14 elements (Si,Ge), respectively. The structure of the silicon-bridged octahedron was fully identified by spectroscopic methods coupled with X-ray diffraction analysis.