Direct hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchically porous siliceous zeolite by using alkoxysilylated nonionic surfactant.

A hierarchically porous siliceous MFI zeolite (silicalite-1) with narrow mesoporosity has been hydrothermally synthesized by using trialkoxysilylated alkyl poly(oxyethylene ether) as mesopore-directing agent. A mesostructured silica-surfactant composite was formed at the early stage of the reaction, and zeolite crystallization proceeded during subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the crystallized products showed that micro- and mesopores were hierarchically assembled in unique particle morphology with rugged surfaces.