Ethane–silica hybrid material with ordered hexagonal mesoporous structure

An ordered mesoporous hybrid material, with ethane–silica framework, has been prepared by a sol–gel synthesis route involving the condensation of 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTEE) under basic conditions, in the presence of octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (ODTMABr) as a structure directing agent. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and N2 adsorption measurements show a hybrid material highly ordered at the mesoscale, uniform pore-size distribution and high surface area. 13C and 29Si MAS NMR analyses reveal that the ethylene group bridging two silicon nuclei remains intact both in prepared material and after solvent extraction of the surfactant template. The synthesis conditions have been studied, showing that the preparation conditions should accurately be defined to avoid the decomposition of BTEE and to obtain the ordered mesoporous hybrid material. The presence of TEOS as silica source together with BTEE has also been considered.