  We propose a method to enhance lysozyme trapping and supported-Copper
catalysis when confined in organosilica materials. The direct synthesis
presented here allows the control of the silica surface hydrophobicity by
uniform introduction of methyl or phenyl groups. As a result, the lysozyme
trapping is observed to be 3.2 times more efficient with the
phenyl-functionalized material than MCM-41. For heterogeneous catalysis, Copper
was immobilized on the new organosilica surface. In this case, the presence of
methyl groups significantly enhanced the product yield for the catalyzed
synthesis of a triazole derivative. This method opens a new route of synthesis
where the material properties can be adjusted and dedicated to a specific
application.
