Synthesis of ordered cerium-doped cubic mesoporous silica using long-chain ionic liquid as template

The long-chain ionic liquid 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C16mimCl) was used as a template to prepare cerium-doped MCM-48 materials in basic medium by a hydrothermal synthesis procedure. The effect of the amount of Ce salt and C16mimCl/Si on the synthesis were discussed in detail. This mesoporous material exhibits a pore architecture which is cubic Ia3d gyroid and possesses a large surface area and a narrow pore distribution. Cerium in calcined porous framework exists in the form of well-dispersed tetrahedral coordination. The C16mimCl shows a high tendency toward self-aggregation that allows the formation of the cerium-doped gyroid mesostructure by using the appropriate amount of Ce salt. © Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH 2008.