Al-Rich Ordered Mesoporous Silica SBA-15 Materials: Synthesis, Surface Characterization and Acid Properties

International audienceAl-SBA-15 is an interesting mesoporous material having highly ordered nanopores and a large surface area, which is widely employed as catalysts and adsorbents, but relatively few studies on the surfaces properties of this type of materials have been carried out. The purpose of the present work was to advance knowledge on the textural properties of Al-SBA-15 by applying the accurate NLDFT method as well as to gain insight into the surface characterisation and acidic trend of this material. Mesoporous Al-SBA-15 molecular sieves, in three SiO2/Al2O3 ratios: 50, 75 and 100 were accomplished by post-synthesis alumination in aqueous solution of a purely siliceous SBA-15 material. The obtained solids were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), N-2 adsorption-desorption (BET/DFT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), water adsorption and zeta potential measurements. The results indicate that Al atoms have been successfully incorporated into the framework of the hexagonal mesoporous SBA-15. The aluminum introduced amount has remarkably affected the surface properties of the SBA-15 solid, indeed microporosity decreased. Furthermore, the esterification test showed that the Al-SBA-15 material exhibit Bronsted acid properties with an interesting activity leading to yields of similar to 90% of biodiesel