Synthesis of hexagonal microporous silica and aluminophosphate by supramolecular templating of a short-chain amine

Hexagonal microporous phases of SiO2 and AlPO4 with pore sizes in the range intermediate between traditional microporous and mesoporous materials have been prepared, by making use of supramolecular organization of short-chain amine (n-C6H12NH2) template molecules. The pore diameters are around 1.4nm in both cases. The hexagonal microporous phase of AlPO4 is formed only in the presence of fluoride ions. The surface area of SiO2 after removal of the template is 800m2 g−1. In the case of AlPO4, the surface area is 190m2 g−1 after removal of 60% of the template.