Trapping organic molecules in sol–gel aluminosilicate matrices

Abstract Inorganic materials may be tailored to obtain specific pore size distributions and surface structures. In this work we present the synthesis of faujasite type amorphous aluminosilicate matrices by the sol–gel process. One of the preparations included the use of mesitylene as a template to create additional porosity. The powders were used to encapsulate the dyes methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG). Several analysis were performed, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), nitrogen adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. According to the results, MB and MG were effectively trapped in the aluminosilicate matrix.