Carboxylic acid assisted synthesis of ordered mesoporous silicon-doped γ-alumina with high thermal stability

Abstract Ordered mesoporous silicon-doped γ -alumina with high thermal stability was synthesized by a modified sol–gel process with the assistance of carboxylic acid as interfacial protector in the presence of aluminum isopropoxide, tetraethylorthosilicate and Pluronic P123. The effect of molecular structure, complexation ability and volatility of carboxylic acids on the thermal stability of the obtained alumina was investigated. Structural and morphological characterization indicated that the silicon-doped γ -alumina assisted with acetic acid possesses long-range ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructure even after the calcined temperature up to 1000 °C and confirmed the retention of the mesoporous structure with a large surface area of 243.50 m 2  g −1 , pore volume of 0.6 cm 3  g −1 and narrow pore size distribution, demonstrating the highly thermal stability of the resulting alumina.