One-step synthesis of alkyltrimethylammonium-intercalated magadiite

Cetyltrimethylammonium- and tetradecyltrimethylammonium-intercalated magadiites were prepared by direct syntheses, starting from sodium metasilicate (Na2O/SiO2 = 1.0) and nitric acid. Total substitution of sodium by cetyltrimethylammonium or tetradecyltrimethylammonium cations was not achieved in the range of surfactant:silicon molar ratios used in this study. When a phosphoniun-based surfactant replaces the ammonium surfactants in the same procedure, the result of the synthesis is a mixture of quartz and unmodified surfactant. If dodecylammonium bromide is used, an MCM-41 molecular sieve is obtained. The substitution of the silicon source by tetramethylammonium silicate or of nitric acid by hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, or acetic acids also yields MCM-41 molecular sieves, indicating that the formation of magadiite is greatly dependent on the presence of sodium cations and nitrate anions.