Silicalite-1 monolith with vertically aligned mesopores templated from carbon nanotube array

For ultrafast transport of ions or molecules, a silicalite-1 monolith with macroscopically aligned mesopores is first prepared using carbon nanotube array as a template. Silica precursor is infused in pre-prepared array step by step and transformed into silicalite-1 in water vapor. The calcined sample well replicates the monolithic macrostructure of the template and straight mesopores of carbon nanotubes. It possesses interconnecting porous network built with mesostructured particles and its N-2 sorption isotherms exhibit overlapping type I and IV curves with obviously capillary condensation steps. Surface area of 308 m(2)/g and pore volume of 0.50 cm(3)/g is also calculated for it. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.