ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous molecular sieves

Michal Horňáček, Pavol Hudec, and Agáta Smiešková

Department of Petroleum Technology and Petrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia

E-mail: pavol.hudec@stuba.sk

Received: 17 March 2009  Revised: 17 May 2009  Accepted: 19 May 2009

Abstract: In the synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves of the type MCM-41, different cationactive surfactants and sources of silicon were used. Moreover, Al-MCM-41 samples with different content of aluminium were synthesized. MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 were synthesized at elevated temperature in stainless-steel autoclaves. Prepared mesoporous molecular sieves were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), physical adsorption of nitrogen at the temperature of −197°C, sorption capacity of benzene, and by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Acidity was measured for Al-MCM-41 by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (TPDA) and by FTIR of adsorbed pyridine. Acid catalytic activity of Al-MCM-41 was tested by isomerization of o-xylene. Influence of the synthesis reproducibility, surfactant used, source of silicon, synthesis time, source of aluminium, and Si to Al mole ratio on the properties of mesoporous molecular sieves were evaluated.

Keywords: synthesis - mesoporous molecular sieves - MCM-41 - Al-MCM-41

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-009-0066-y

Chemical Papers 63 (6) 689–697 (2009)