Synthesis of cubic mesoporous silica and carbon using fly ash

A supernatant solution of silicate species extracted from coal fly ash in a power plant by alkali fusion was used under acidic conditions to prepare a mesoporous silica, SBA-16. SBA-16 was used as a template for the synthesis of a mesoporous carbon using sucrose as a carbon source. These mesoporous silica and carbon materials were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, SEM, and TEM. Textural properties of the silica and carbon samples prepared using fly ash were found to be comparable to those prepared by pure chemicals, successfully demonstrating the feasibility of recycling fly ash for the synthesis of high quality porous materials.