Hierarchically structured meso-macroporous aluminosilicates with high tetrahedral aluminium content in acid catalysed esterification of fatty acids

Synthesis of Microporous Aluminosilicate by Direct Thermal Activation of Phenyl-Substituted Single-Source Aluminosilicate Molecular Precursors

The construction of aluminosilicates from versatile molecular precursors (MPs) represents a promising alternative strategy to conventional processes based on monomeric molecular or polymeric Al and Si sources. However, the use of MPs often suffers from drawbacks such as the decomposition of the core structures in the presence of solvents, acids, or bases. In this work, we demonstrate a simple thermal synthesis of porous aluminosilicates from single-source spiro-7-type MPs that consist of a tetrahedral Al atom and six Si atoms functionalized with 12 phenyl (Ph) groups, (C⁺)[Al{Ph₂Si(OSiPh₂O)₂}₂]^- (C⁺[AlSi₆]^-; C⁺ = pyridinium cation (PyH⁺), Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, or Cs⁺), without using a solvent or activator. Microporous aluminosilicates synthesized via the thermal treatment of C⁺[AlSi₆]^- under a 79% N₂ + 21% O₂ atmosphere exhibited extremely low carbon contents (0.10-1.28%), together with Si/Al ratios of 3.9-6.7 ± 0.2 and surface areas of 103.1-246.3 m²/g. The solid-state ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra suggest that the obtained aluminosilicates with alkali cations retain a tetrahedral Al site derived from the spiro-7-type core structure. After a proton-exchange reaction, the aluminosilicates showed almost 1.5 times higher reactivity in the catalytic ring-opening of styrene oxide than the aluminosilicate before proton exchange due to the catalytically active OH site being predominantly bridged by tetrahedral Al and Si atoms. These results suggest that the present MP strategy is a promising method for the introduction of key structures into active inorganic materials.

Mitigating the Microcracks of High-Ni Oxides by In Situ Formation of Binder between Anisotropic Grains for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Increasing attention has been paid to layered high-Ni oxides with high capacity as a promising cathode for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. However, the undesirable microcracks in secondary particles usually occur due to the volume changes of anisotropic primary grains during cycles, which lead to the decay of electrochemical performance. Here, for the first time, a functional electrolyte with di-sec-butoxyaluminoxytriethoxysilane additive integrating the functions of silane and aluminate is proposed to in situ form the binder-like filler between anisotropic primary grains for mitigating the microcracks of high-Ni oxides. It is demonstrated that Li-containing aluminosilicate as a glue layer between the gaps of grains and as a coating layer on the surface of the grains is generated, and these features further enhance the interfacial bonding and surface stability of anisotropic primary grains. Consequently, the microcracks along with side reactions and phase transitions of high-Ni oxides are mitigated. As anticipated, the electrochemical performance and thermal stability of high-Ni oxides are improved, and there is also a capacity retention of 75.4% even after 300 cycles and large reversible capacity of ∼160 mA h g^-1 at 5 C. The functional electrolyte offers a simple, efficient, and scalable method to promote the electrochemical properties and applicability of high-Ni oxide cathodes in high-energy lithium-ion batteries.

Hierarchically porous materials: synthesis strategies and structure design

This review addresses recent advances in synthesis strategies of hierarchically porous materials and their structural design from micro-, meso- to macro-length scale.

Monodisperse Aluminosilicate Spheres with Tunable Al/Si Ratio and Hierarchical Macro-Meso-Microporous Structure

While tremendous success has been seen in the development of ordered mesoporous silica by soft-templated methods, synthesis of hierarchical structures with controllable multiscale pore networks has remained a challenging topic. On the other hand, introduction of heteroatoms as an effective method of chemically functionalizing silica leads to difficulties in morphological control of the product, and multistep synthesis has been necessary for functionalized silica particles with hierarchical pore structure and uniform size. The present work demonstrates that the conflict between morphological control and heteroatom incorporation can be resolved in a CTAB-stabilized toluene-water-ethanol microemulsion system. For the first time, monodisperse macro-meso-microporous aluminosilicate spheres (MASS) are synthesized in one step at room temperature. Simultaneous tuning of Al/Si ratio (0-0.35) and the hierarchical pore structure is realized by Hofmeister anion effects of the Al source itself, [Al(OH)4](-), which change the geometry of CTAB micelles and giant vesicles. The Al is incorporated purely in a tetrahedrally coordinated status, and preliminary results from catalytic experiments show improved acidity of MASS as a catalyst support.