Synthesis of ordered macro-mesoporous Mg-Al composite oxides with high thermal stability and mechanical strength

Abstract Ordered macro-mesoporous Mg-Al composite oxides (denoted as OMM-MA-x) with tunable macropore size and highly homogenous distribution of Mg have been synthesized via a confined evaporation induced self-assembly method, in which triblock copolymer F127 and polystyrene colloidal crystals are utilized as templates for ordered mesoporous and macroporous structures, respectively. The resultant OMM-MA-x materials exhibit a much more ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructure constituting wall skeleton of ordered macropores and more excellent textural properties than those of ordered macro-mesoporous alumina materials. More importantly, both ordered mesostructure and macroporous structure of OMM-MA-x can be well maintained even after thermal treatment at 900 °C or pressure treatment at 15 MPa.