Silicon Dioxide is a crucial inorganic non-metallic material and functional matrix, renowned for its stable chemical properties, tunable porous structure, and excellent mechanical strength. It plays a central role in high-end manufacturing and technological innovation. Its production encompasses physical comminution and chemical synthesis, with mainstream processes including the natural route of "quartz sand purification" and the synthetic route of "sodium silicate + acid → precipitated silica".

❋ Aliases: Silica, Quartz Sand (natural), White Carbon Black, Fumed Silica (synthetic)
❋ English Name: Silicon Dioxide
❋ Chemical Formula: SiO₂
❋ Molecular Weight: 60.08
❋ CAS Number: 14808-60-7 (quartz), 112945-52-5 (amorphous)

Key Properties: Chemically inert, high hardness, tunable porosity, surface modifiability

Frontier Application Scenarios

1. "Insulating and Carrying Substrate" in Electronic Information Industry

   • Chip manufacturing dielectric layer: Serves as key consumable in CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) for wafer global planarization;

   • Electronic packaging materials: High-purity fused quartz used in advanced chip packaging, meeting low dielectric constant and high thermal stability requirements.

2. "Performance Enhancer" in New Energy Technologies

   • Lithium battery separator coating: Nano-silica coating enhances separator thermal stability and electrolyte wettability;

   • Solid-state electrolyte filler: Acts as inorganic filler to improve mechanical strength and ion conductivity of polymer electrolytes.

3. "Intelligent Catalyst Support" in Green Chemical Industry

   • Porous catalytic materials: Controlled pore-size silica (e.g., SBA-15, MCM-41) supports metal catalysts for shape-selective catalysis;

   • Biocatalytic fixed bed: Mesoporous silica immobilizes enzymes, improving enzyme stability and reusability.

4. "Targeted Delivery Platform" in Life Health

   • Drug controlled-release systems: Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles serve as drug carriers for pH-responsive release;

   • Gene therapy delivery: Functionalized silica nanoparticles used for siRNA/DNA delivery, enhancing transfection efficiency.

Technological Breakthroughs and Sustainable Development

• Green synthesis breakthrough: Develops biomass template method (e.g., cellulose template) for hierarchical porous silica synthesis, reducing energy consumption and pollution;

• Precise structure control: Utilizes molecular self-assembly technology to achieve accurate regulation of pore size (1-50 nm) and channel structure;

• Functional modification innovation: Through silane coupling agent grafting modification, develops specific functional products like hydrophobic, aminated, and carboxylated silica;

• Resource recycling: Extracts high-value-added silica from agricultural waste such as rice husks and straws, turning waste into treasure.