Synthesis of silica-pillared clay (SPC) with ordered mesoporous structure by one-step method without preswelling process

Abstract The simultaneous intercalation of surfactants and TEOS into clay interlayers and subsequent intragallery ammonia-catalyzed hydrolysis of TEOS resulted in mesoporous silica-pillared clay (SPC). These SPC materials exhibited refractions corresponding to a basal spacing of 3.7–4.3 nm, a uniform pore size of 2.5–3.16 nm and large surface areas of 567–576 m2/g. Our results indicate that surfactants play a decisive role in pore formation, because they act as micelle-like template during the hydrolysis of TOES. Moreover, the pore size of SPC derivatives is controllable by the molecular length of surfactant. All of the SPC materials reported here exhibit high catalytic activity and selectivity for coker gas oil (CGO) cracking reaction in comparison to parent MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41. The excellent acid catalytic activity, together with their sable, well-organized porous structure, opens up new opportunities for applications in catalysis.