Synthesis of mesoporous silica with ionic liquid surfactant as template

Ionic liquid surfactants (ILSs), N-hexadecyl-N-methylpiperidinium bromide ([C16MPip][Br]), N-hexadecyl-N-methylmorpholinium bromide ([C16MMor][Br]) and N-hexadecyl-N- methylpyrrolidinium bromide ([C16MPyr][Br]), were respectively synthesized and were used to prepare mesoporous silica with controllable morphology in alkaline medium via hydrothermal method. The silica prepared with [C16MPip][Br] or [C16MMor][Br] is mesoporous MCM-41 with hexagonal structure of space group p6mm and regular pores ordered, and the pore diameter and specific surface area are about 2 nm and 850 m2∙g−1, respectively. The mesoporous silica prepared with [C16MPyr][Br] has the larger pore size (2.53 nm) and the smaller specific surface area (650 m2∙g−1) , the channel structure is not more regular and orderly than the other two mesoporous silica.