title: Influence of the Al source and synthesis of ordered Al-SBA-15 hexagonal particles with nanostairs and terraces.
abstract: We investigated the effect of various aluminum sources on the morphology and microstructure of nanoporous Al-SBA-15. With aluminum tri-sec-butoxide (Al-TSB), very large, ordered hexagonal rods of Al-SBA-15 covered by nanostairs and terraces were synthesized. Such a morphology was not obtained with an inorganic Al source (sodium aluminate) or with organic sources seemingly similar to Al-TSB, such as aluminum tri-tert-butoxide, aluminum tri-n-butoxide, or aluminum isopropoxide. The results obtained from X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy, N(2) adsorption/desorption, and high-performance (129)Xe NMR suggest that preparing an organic Al-Si precursor by premixing liquid organic Al and Si sources (Al-TSB and tetraethyl orthosilicate) is crucial in obtaining highly ordered mesoporous Al-SBA-15 materials with a well-defined morphology.
authors.affiliation: DelftChemTech, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wenjiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shing-Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shang-Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Marc-Olivier
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Coppens