Highly ordered MCM-41 silica prepared in the presence of decyltrimethylammonium bromide

Literature data show that for MCM-41 silica made in the presence of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (ATAB) surfactants, the best quality materials in terms of framework order are those obtained with surfactants having 12-16 carbon atom alkyl chains. Lower molecular weight surfactants seem to be more difficult to self-organize, thus leading to less ordered materials with broader pore size distributions. Here, we provide reliable recipes which afford excellent quality materials using decyltrimethylammonium bromide. This method can also be applied to ATABs with 12 and 14 carbon chains.