Template-assisted synthesis of mesoporous LiAlO2 hollow spheres with high surface area

Mesoporous lithium aluminate (α-LiAlO2) hollow spheres with the diameter of 3–4 μm and the shell thickness of about 500 nm have been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method with template-assisted. Many mesopores were found on the surface of the spherical shell. Nitrogen sorption measurement reveals that obtained products exhibited high BET specific surface area up to 322.8 m2/g and pore volume of 0.72 cm3/g. The formation mechanism of the mesoporous shell structure was proposed as a core-shell-surfactant-water model.