The influence of CTAB/Si ratio on the textural properties of MCM-41 prepared from sodium silicate

The article deals with the synthesis of mesoporous ordered material MCM-41 from sodium silicate. The series of MCM-41 materials are prepared from industrial sodium silicate using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template and characterized by N₂ physisorption and small-angle X-Ray scattering. The MCM-41 sample prepared from the sodium silicate is characterized by high values of specific surface area (1118–1513 m²/g), pore volumes (0.81–0.96 cm³/g), and a well-ordered structure. It was found that the primary assembly of the ordered MCM-41 structure occurs in the solution at room temperature and the MCM-41 may be prepared from the sodium silicate even without hydrothermal treatment. The MCM-41 with a well-ordered structure and a narrow pore size distribution may be synthesized even at a very low CTAB/Si ratio of 0.025–0.125. The MCM-41 prepared from the sodium silicate is stable up to 700 °C and the specific surface area and pore volume were decreased only after the calcination at 800 °C. Thus, the MCM-41 synthesized from the sodium silicate at low CTAB/Si ratio is a promising cheap material for sorption, catalysis and other applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].