Microporous semicrystalline silica materials

A new family of microporous semicrystalline silica materials (MSSMs) were developed at room temperature from acidic mixtures of alkyl-substituted silane and tetramethylalkoxysilane. Hydrolyzed alkyl-substituted silica precursors, having hydrophilic silanol groups and hydrophobic alkyl groups, presumably act not only as templates but also as sol stabilizers for continuous pore engineering of silica materials in the micropore region. Depending on the substituted alkyl (SUA) groups in initial sols, MSSMs have distinct broad x-ray diffraction peaks in low 20 range of 2° to 12°, distinguishable thermal behavior of SUA groups, highly flexible processability, and discrete micropore size with good thermal stability of micropores after the removal of SUA groups. These designer microporous silicas are expected to be useful for molecular sieving applications.