A template-free method for the synthesis of porous alumina with superhigh specific surface area and large pore volume

Abstract This work demonstrates a facile organic-free and template-free approach for synthesizing spindle-like alumina with large pore volume and high specific surface area via a gas-liquid interfacial method followed by calcination. The influences of different calcination temperatures on the porous alumina were systematically studied. The possible formation mechanism of the spindle-like structures was also investigated. The results exhibited that the as-obtained amorphous alumina calcined at 300 °C had superhigh surface areas (up to 853 m2/g). Furthermore, the adsorption performance of the as-prepared amorphous alumina with high surface area was also evaluated. This spindle-like amorphous alumina showed an excellent adsorption capacity (3284 mg/g) for the removal of Congo red from aqueous solution, which indicate this porous alumina may have great potential applications in adsorption and other related areas.