Synthesis of mesoporous MCM-41 materials with low-power microwave heating

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00986445.2012.737386

Crystalline, high-surface-area, hexagonal mesoporous MCM-41 having uniform pore sizes and good thermal stability was successfully synthesized at 90 degrees 120 degrees C in 30min using low-power microwave irradiation. This appears to be the first comprehensive and quantitative investigation of the comparatively rapid synthesis of mesoporous MCM-41 using low-power microwave heating of 80W (90 degrees C) and 120W (120 degrees C). The influence of reaction temperature and the duration of heating were carefully investigated, and the calcined MCM-41 materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, nitrogen adsorption, TGA, and FT-IR. The mesoporous MCM-41 product synthesized in 30min at 120W and calcined at 550 degrees C had a very high surface area of 1438m2/g and was highly ordered, containing uniform pores with diameters in the range of 3.54.5nm. The wall thickness of the materials highly depended on the power of the microwave energy used during synthesis. Synthesis of the mesoporous MCM-41 products at 120 degrees C resulted in a structure with thinner walls. The mesoporous MCM-41 materials synthesized in the present work had good thermal stability.