1. A method of producing monodisperse non-hollow mesoporous silica spheres having a diameter of greater than or equal to about 3 \u03bcm and less than or equal to about 50 \u03bcm comprising:
combining a precursor aqueous or alcohol based solution comprising tetraethylorthosilicate with an amphiphile to form a sol;
creating monodisperse droplets of said sol using a vibrating orifice aerosol generator,
mixing a volume of the monodisperse droplets with a volume of dry air, wherein the volume of dry air is larger than the volume of monodisperse droplets;
evaporating solvent from said monodisperse droplets of said sol to induce self-assembly of said amphiphile in said monodisperse spheres;
heating to promote condensation of said tetraethylorthosilicate to produce said silica; and
removal of said amphiphile by thermal or chemical means; to produce a monodisperse population of non-hollow mesoporous silica spheres having a diameter of greater than or equal to about 3 \u03bcm and less than or equal to about 50 \u03bcm.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said amphiphile comprises a surfactant.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said surfactant comprises cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein said surfactant comprises Brij-58.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said amphiphile comprises a block copolymer.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said block copolymer comprises (ethylene oxide)106(propylene oxide)70(ethylene oxide)106.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres have a diameter between about 3 and about 10 \u03bcm.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said monosdisperse mesoporous silica spheres have at least one pore has having a diameter between about 2 and about 10 nm.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said tetraethylorthosilicate comprises a pre-hydrolyzed acidic tetraethylorthosilicate.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said tetraethylorthosilicate comprises an acidic aqueous tetraethylorthosilicate.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said vibrating orifice aerosol generator comprises an orifice with a diameter from about 10 \u03bcm to about 100 \u03bcm.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres comprise a plurality of pores.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said plurality of pores comprise hexagonally-packed tubular pore bundles.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein near the surface of said monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres, said pores are oriented parallel to said surface.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein near the surface of said monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres, said pores are oriented perpendicular to said surface.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said sol further comprises a swelling agent.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said swelling agent comprises trimethylbenzene.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said trimethylbenzene and said tetraethylorthosilicate are in a ratio of about 1:1 mol.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said sol further comprises an organic additive that influences mesophase behavior.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said organic agent comprises trimethylbenzene.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein said trimethylbenzene and said tetraethylorthosilicate are in a ratio of about 1:1 mol.
22. The method of claim 1 wherein the spheres in the monodisperse population of non-hollow mesoporous silica spheres are unaggregated.
23. The method of claim 1 wherein the monodisperse non-hollow mesoporous silica spheres have a diameter equal to or greater than about 10 \u03bcm and equal to or less than about 50 \u03bcm.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising:
a housing;
hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing;
rings for holding the loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being mounted on a first hinge plate and moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the two ring members form a substantially continuous, closed loop for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the rings to be moved along the rings from one ring member to the other, and in the open position the two ring members form a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings;
a control structure supported by the housing and moveable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position for use in controlling the pivoting motion of the hinge plates, the control structure including an actuator and a hinge pin pivotally connecting the actuator to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause movement of the control structure between said first and second positions; and
a spring received on the hinge pin engageable with the actuator for urging the control structure toward said first position;
the actuator comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the housing and the control structure further comprising a travel bar operatively connected to the lever such that pivoting movement of the lever causes movement of the travel bar in translation relative to the housing from the first position in which the control structure locks the hinge plates in the closed position to the second position in which the hinge plates are free to pivot to the open position.
2. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spring is arranged relative to the actuator so that movement of the control structure from the first position to the second position deflects the spring and stores additional energy in the spring.
3. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the spring includes a first free end and a second free end, the first free end of the spring being engageable with the actuator such that the first free end of the spring moves relative to the second free end of the spring when the actuator is moved to move the control structure toward said second position.
4. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said movement of the first free end of the spring is toward the second free end of the spring.
5. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spring is a torsion spring.
6. A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising:
a housing;
hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing;
rings for holding the loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being mounted on a first hinge plate and moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the two ring members form a substantially continuous, closed loop for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the rings to be moved along the rings from one ring member to the other, and in the open position the two ring members form a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings;
a control structure supported by the housing and moveable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position for use in controlling the pivoting motion of the hinge plates, the control structure including an actuator and a hinge pin pivotally connecting the actuator to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause movement of the control structure between said first and second positions, the actuator comprising a lever; and
a spring received on the hinge pin engageable with the actuator for urging the control structure toward said first position, the spring including first and second free ends, the second free end of the spring being engageable with the hinge plates.
7. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein said movement of the first free end of the spring is away from the second free end of the spring.
8. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein the spring is a torsion spring.
9. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a cover, the ring binder mechanism being mounted on the cover, the cover being movable to selectively cover and expose loose-leaf pages adapted to be retained on the rings.
10. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ring members are in the closed position when the control structure is in said first position.
11. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lever is pivotally connected to the travel bar.
12. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 11 further comprising an intermediate connector pivotally connected to the lever and the travel bar.
13. A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising:
a housing;
hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing;
rings for holding the loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being mounted on a first hinge plate and moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the two ring members form a substantially continuous, closed loop for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the rings to be moved along the rings from one ring member to the other, and in the open position the two ring members form a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings;
a control structure supported by the housing and moveable relative to the housing between a first, closed position, and a second, open position, for use in controlling the pivoting motion of the hinge plates, the control structure including a lever having a head, a hinge pin pivotally connecting the lever to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause movement of the control structure between said first and second positions, and a travel bar pivotally connected to the lever at a location closer to the head of the lever than the hinge pin connecting the lever to the housing,
a torsion spring received on the hinge pin engageable with the actuator for urging the control structure toward said first position.
14. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein the control structure further comprises an intermediate connector pivotally connecting the travel bar to the lever.
15. A ring binder mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein the torsion spring engages at least one of the hinge plates.