One-step synthesis of micro/mesoporous material templated by CTAB and imidazole ionic liquid in aqueous solution

Based on the micro-phase separation of the dual templates consisting of an alkyl imidazole ionic liquid [C(n)mim]Br and a surfactant cetyltriethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the micro/mesoporous silicate materials were synthesized. At room temperature, the cations [C(4)mim](+) and CTA(+) aggregated into mixed micelles and acted as co-templates for synthesis of mesoporous materials which possessed an extremely large BET surface area of 1719 m(2) g(-1). While at a hydrothermal temperature of 373 K, the mixed micelles separated into CTA(+) mesoscale micelles and [C(4)mim](+) micro scale aggregates which were served as mesoporous templates and microporous templates, respectively. With a total BET surface area of 1016 m(2) g(-1), the resulted materials had distinctly different micropore range and mesopore range of pores of 0.6 and 2.7 nm, respectively. The formation mechanism was tentatively elucidated by studying the interaction between CTAB and [C(4)mim]Br based on the measurement of the cmc of the CTAB/[C(4)mim]Br mixture aqueous solutions at different compositions and temperatures. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.