Synthesis of Nanoporous Materials Al-MCM-41 from Natural Halloysite
Nanoporous materials Al -MCM-41 with varying Si / Al molar ratios have been successfully synthesized from natural clay mineral halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). Hydrothermal treatment of acid-pretreated HNTs and NaOH solution resulted in the one-step synthesis of final nanoporous products by using surfactant. The effects of Si / Al molar ratios (7.7, 61.0 and 176.5) on the surface area, porosity and degree of structural order of Al -MCM-41 materials have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption–desorption measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra techniques. The results indicated that Si / Al molar ratio had important effect on the characteristics of nanoporous materials, and Al -MCM-41 with an intermediate Si / Al molar ratio of 61.0 exhibited excellent characteristics with high degree of order, high surface area (S BET ) of 1033 m2/g and pore volume of 0.92 mL/g.