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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