Hydrothermally stable ordered hexagonal mesoporous aluminosilicates assembled from a triblock copolymer and preformed aluminosilicate precursors in strongly acidic media

Mesoporous aluminosilicates (MAS-9) with ordered hexagonal struture have been prepared by assembly of preformed aluminosilicate precursors with a triblock copolymer in strongly acidic media by a two-step procedure. MAS-9 exhibits extraordinarily good hydrothermal stability and high catalytic activities for the cracking of both cumene and 1,3,5-tri-isopropylbenzene. Even after treatment in boiling water for 120 h, MAS-9 continues to show a large surface area (680 m(2)/g) and high catalytic activities. Furthermore, this two-step strategy could be used as a new general method for the preparation of mesoporous aluminosilicate materials under strongly acidic conditions.