Preparation and characterisation of MCM-41 materials with intra-wall cross-mesopores

A series of novel mesoporous MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter No. 41) materials has been synthesised using pre-organo-functionalised fumed silica as the silica source. Subsequent X-ray diffraction, nitrogen/argon adsorption and transmission electron microscopy analyses indicated that the additional mesopores formed in silica walls seem to cross the inherent hexagonally arranged channels, affording interconnected structural mesopores. Compared with the conventional MCM-41 material featuring single cylindrical pores, the newly prepared materials have a larger surface area (1450 m²/g), and their adsorption capacity for n-heptane has been enhanced in the low-pressure region, which presumably would be highly beneficial to the abatement of low-concentration volatile organic compounds.