Preparation of thermally stable mesoporous tin dioxide powders with high specific surface area by utilizing self-assembly of surfactants

Thermally stable mesoporous SnO2 powders was prepared from sodium stannate by utilizing the self-assembly of n-cetylpyridinium chloride (C16PyCl), followed by treatment with phosphoric acid (PA, 0.1 mol (.) dm(-3)). Under the most suitable preparation conditions (C(16)yCl cone. = 2.0 mass%, [C16PyCl]/[Na2SnO3. 3H(2)O] = 2.0, [Mesitylene]/[Na2SnO3. 3H(2)O] = 2.5, pH = 10, and aging temperature = 20 degreesC), an ordered mesoporous structure (d(100) = ca, 3.1 nm) with a large specific surface area (305 m(2) . g(-1)) was obtained after calcination of the resultant solid product (having ordered mesopores of d(100) = ca. 4.1 nm) at 600 degreesC for 5 h. It was confirmed that the PA treatment was useful for reducing the growth of SnO2 crystallites and then improving the thermal stability of the mesoporous structure.