Characterization and acidic properties of Al-SBA-15 materials prepared by post-synthesis alumination of a low-cost ordered mesoporous silica

A series of Al-containing SBA-15 type materials with different Si/Al ratio, were prepared by post-synthesis modification of a pure highly ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 obtained by using sodium silicate as silica source, and amphiphilic block copolymer as structure-directing agent. A high level of aluminum incorporation was achieved, reaching an Si/Al ratio of up to 5.5, without any significant loss in the textural properties of SBA-15. These materials were fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), 27Al NMR spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption at 77 K. The acid properties of these materials have been evaluated by NH3-TPD, adsorption of pyridine and deuterated acetonitrile coupled to FTIR spectroscopy. The effective acidity of these materials was evaluated using two catalytic reactions: 2-propanol dehydrogenation and 1-butene isomerization. The adsorption of basic probe molecules and the catalytic behavior revealed an evolution of the acid properties with the Al content. These studies have shown that the Al-SBA-15 materials contain Brønsted and Lewis acid sites with medium acidity which makes them appropriate to be used as acid catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis, catalytic supports, and adsorbents.