Synthesis and characterization of co-surfactant templated mesoporous materials with enhanced hydrothermal stability

Ordered mesoporous materials with a hydrothermally-stable, protozeolitic framework were prepared by exploring the direct conversion of inorganic species based on co-surfactant templating systems. To confer hydrothermal stability on the mesoporous materials, the organic-inorganic hybrids were heat-treated in strongly basic media. Co-surfactant templating systems of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide [C16H13(CH3)(3)NBr, CTAB] with 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB) or a nonionic block copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (EO20PO70EO20) were employed to improve the hydrothermal stability of the organic-inorganic self-assembly during the solid rearrangement process of the inorganic species. The mesoscopic ordering of the pore structure and geometry was identified by X-ray diffraction, small angle neutron scattering and electron microscopy.