Synthesis of bulky mesoporous silica (FSM) by hydrothermal hot-pressing method

Abstract In this study, we successfully synthesized the bulk of dense mesoporous silica (FSM) bodies by a short-term hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) method. It was thought that these dense bodies were achieved by solution/precipitation mechanism during HHP. Bulk pieces with the dimension in the range of centimeters in diameter possessed a high surface area of over 1000 m 2 /g and sharp distribution of mesopores with an average diameter of approximately 2.4 nm. This successful synthesis of bulky mesoporous silica will expand the capabilities of application to various fields, for example, gas separation (CO 2 and H 2 etc.) and catalysis.