Unprecedented Expansion of the Pore Size and Volume of Periodic Mesoporous Silica

Adjusting the pore size and volume of molecular sieve MCM-41 over a very wide range is possible through simple hydrothermal treatment of “off the shelf”, as-synthesized materials in a decyldimethylamine (DMDA)–water emulsion (see schematic representation). The amine/silica ratio as well as the time and temperature of the treatment are the main parameters that control the pore size expansion process.