Effect of addition of alkali metal salts in hydrothermal synthesis and post heat-treatment on porosity of SBA-15

SBA-15 was hydrothermally synthesized at 80 °C for 48 h, and then the surfactant template for mesopore formation was removed by extraction with ethanol, washing with nitric acid, and heating at 200 °C. Addition of alkali metal chlorides to a synthesis gel of SBA-15 increased its mesopore diameter in the following order: no added salt < LiCl < KCl < CsCl. The micropore volume did not change with the addition of any alkali metal and was around 0.17 mL g^-1. These results suggest that alkali metal salt is inside the mesopore with a micelle template. When a small amount of potassium chloride was impregnated in SBA-15 after extraction and washing, micropore volume reduced almost to zero with heating at 400 °C in dry air, and the mesopore diameter and pore wall thickness were reduced by a larger amount than for non-impregnated SBA-15. It is likely that the micropores in the mesopore wall vanish due to condensation of silanols and/or reconstruction of siloxane bonds on the micropore wall, which are catalyzed by alkali metal halides.