Catalytic activity of rhodium grafted on ordered mesoporous silica materials modified with aluminum in N2O decomposition

• Mesoporous ordered silica materials were used as supports for catalysts.
• Aluminum and rhodium were grafted on silica surface.
• Catalysts were tested in the reaction of N2O decomposition.
• Al(incorporated)-MCM-41 showed the highest catalytic activity.
• Al(incorporated)-MCM-41 enhanced rhodium dispersion on the silica support.

Three different ordered mesoporous silica materials, such as MCM-41, Al-containing MCM-41 (with 1.6 wt% of Al incorporated into the silica framework) and SBA-15, were prepared. Furthermore, aluminum (1.8 wt%) was grafted on the silica surface by the molecular designed dispersion method (MDD). In a next step, rhodium (1.4–2.9 wt%), as an active metal for the catalytic reaction of N2O decomposition, was introduced by the MDD technique. The following order of the catalytic activity was found under an inert atmosphere: Al(incorporated)-MCM-41 + Rh > MCM-41 + Al(grafted) + Rh > SBA-15 + Rh ≈ MCM-41 + Rh. The influence of textural properties, total acidity and rhodium dispersion on the activity of catalysts was studied.

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