Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchically porous γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres with enhanced Cu2+ adsorption performance

• Hierarchically porous γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres were synthesized by a MAH method.
• The prepared γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres have high surface area.
• This material also exhbits an enhanced adsorption performance for Cu2+.

Hierarchically meso-macroporous γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres were synthesized at 180 °C for 40 min for the first time by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) followed by calcination at 600 °C for 2 h route, using KAl(SO4)2 and urea as raw materials. The results show that the obtained γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres are about 0.8–1.2 μm in diameter with a shell thickness of approximately 200 nm and the high surface area of 242 m2/g. The prepared γ-Al2O3 hollow microspheres also exhibit an enhanced adsorption performance for Cu2+ in solution than those prepared by hydrothermal (HT) method and commercial γ-Al2O3.