Synthesis and characterization of ordered mesoporous MCM-41 materials

The synthesis of mesoporous materials has been investigated at various conditions. The nature, the pore size, the wall thickness, the channel array and the morphology of the obtained materials have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, BET and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The present work shows that in the studied conditions, the pore diameter remains relatively constant while the thickness of the walls increases significantly with increasing time and temperature, signifying that the condensation of the source of silicium around the micelles is enhanced. From the characterization results, a synthesis mechanism is postulated.