Preparation of Aluminum-Containing Self-Standing Mesoporous Silica Films

Siliceous and aluminum-containing self-standing mesoporous silica films with the thickness of ca. 50 μm were synthesized by the solvent evaporation method from tetramethoxysilane, aluminum chloride hexahydrate, and octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride. The films possessed highly ordered mesostructures and large surface areas (over ca. 700 m2 g−1). The mesostructures of the products were controlled by the chemical compositions (Si/surfactant); siliceous mesostructured materials with hexagonal (P6m) and cubic (Pm3n) phases were obtained when the molar Si/surfactant ratios were 9 and 8, respectively. The aluminum-containing films with the molar Si/Al ratios of 50, 20, and 10 were also synthesized.