Highly ordered mesoporous carbon-silica nanocomposites with interpenetrating carbon and silica networks were synthesized by the evaporation-induced tri-constituent co- assembly approach. The removal of silica by concentrated NaOH solution produced mesoporous carbons, which contained not only the primary large pores, but also the secondary mesopores in the carbon walls. The thus synthesized mesoporous carbon was further activated by using ZnCl2. The activated mesoporous carbon showed an improved surface area and pore volume. The synthesized mesoporous carbon was tested for diuron removal from water and the results showed that the carbon gave a fast diuron adsorption kinetics and a high diuron removal capacity, which was attributable to the primary mesopore channels being the highway for mass transfer, which led to short diffusion path length and easy accessibility of the interpenetrated secondary mesopores. The optimal adsorption capacity of the porous carbon was determined to be 390 mg/g, the highest values ever reported for diuron adsorption on carbon-based materials.

Template synthesis and mesostructural characterization of ordered mesoporous silica, titania and carbon materials have been systematically investigated in this study. In order to obtain a better understanding of the template-precursor relationship, there are two templates adopted in this research. One is the ¡§liquid crystal template (LCT)¡¨, composed of surfactants via self-assembly pathway; the other is the ¡§ordered silica spheres template¡¨, composed of monodispersed SiO2 spheres (~40 nm) via gravity sedimentation. This work was carried out in four related directions: (1) Synthesis and functionalization of ordered mesoporous silicate (MCM-41 and MCM-48) via cationic surfactant template; (2) Using anionic surfactant template-assisted via urea treatment to control the morphology of the TiO2; (3) Synthesis of ordered mesoporous anatase TiO2 via cationic surfactant template; (4) Synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon from mesophase pitch solution via silica spheres template. Mesoporous silica materials MCM-41 and MCM-48 have been synthesized and identified. The MCM-41 has a hexagonal phase (p6m) with surface area of 1006.90 m2/g and pore size of 37.65 Å, The MCM-48 has cubic phase ( ) with surface area of 1093.34 m2/g and pore size of 29.20 Å. The calcined MCM-41was rehydrated by heating in water and functionalized with 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane; this functionalized mesoporous silica is targeted as a template of metal oxides, such as TiO2. appears the same tendency of parent MCM-41 in the N2 sorption isotherm measurements. Nanocrystalline TiO2 rods and hollow-tubes with an engraved pattern on the surface have been prepared by the anionic template-assisted sol-gel synthesis via urea treatment and under hydrothermal condition. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) results indicate that these nanocrystallines consist predominantly of anatase TiO2, with minor amounts of rutile and brookite. The crystallographic facetting found from SEM and TEM further reveals the polymorphic nature of the nanocrystalline TiO2 thus prepared. A ¡§reverse micelle¡¨ formation mechanism taking into account the hydrothermal temperature, the pH effect of the sol-gel system, the isoelectric point, the formation of micelles, and the electrostatic interaction between the anionic surfactant and the growing TiO2 particulates is proposed to illustrate the competition between the physical micelle assembly of the ionic surfactants and the chemical hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the Ti precursors. Ordered mesoporous TiO2 materials with an anatase framework have been synthesized by using a cationic surfactant template and soluble peroxytitanates as Ti precursor through an S+I− self-assembly pathway. The low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-prepared mesoporous TiO2 materials indicates a hexagonal mesostructure. XRD and TEM results and N2 sorption isotherms measurements indicate the calcined mesoporous TiO2 possesses an anatase crystalline framework having a maximum pore size of 6.9 nm and a maximum BET specific surface area of 284 m2/g. This ordered mesoporous TiO2 also demonstrates a high photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue under ultraviolet irradiation. Under a lower carbonization temperature and with a mesophase pitch solution as the carbon precursor, ordered mesoporous carbon thick films with 35-nm pore size have been synthesized using SiO2 spheres as the template. The pore size of the mesoporous carbon thus fabricated was the smallest one ever reported using silica templates. SEM and TEM patterns show a discernible morphology of an ordered cubic close-packing of the mesopores interconnected via holes of 6 nm in diameter. From this study, the template synthesis has been proven to be an effective method to fabricate mesoporous silica, polymorphic titania, ordered mesoporous TiO2, and ordered mesoporous carbon materials. Further utilization of this template synthesis is expected to offer a variety of porous networks with a wide range of pore sizes, well-defined morphologies on controllable length scales, and various chemical functionalities to match the needs of different applications.

No description available.

The results of this study show that novel mesoporous carbons were obtained as inverse replica of SBA-15, HMS and MCM-41 silica templates, with a large pore diameter (2-4 nm), a BET surface area of 1867, 874 and 910 m2g –1 respectively for CA_SBA-15_LPG_105, CA_HMS_LPG_80 and CA_MCM- 41_LPG_80 with bimodal pore size distribution (PSD) in the mesopores range. The results obtained show that mesoporous carbon with graphitic structures can be synthesized via the LPG route.

The results of this study show that novel mesoporous carbons were obtained as inverse replica of SBA-15, HMS and MCM-41 silica templates, with a large pore diameter (2-4 nm), a BET surface area of 1867, 874 and 910 m2g –1 respectively for CA_SBA-15_LPG_105, CA_HMS_LPG_80 and CA_MCM- 41_LPG_80 with bimodal pore size distribution (PSD) in the mesopores range. The results obtained show that mesoporous carbon with graphitic structures can be synthesized via the LPG route.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The results of this study show that novel mesoporous carbons were obtained as inverse replica of SBA-15, HMS and MCM-41 silica templates, with a large pore diameter (2-4 nm), a BET surface area of 1867, 874 and 910 m2g–1 respectively for CA_SBA-15_LPG_105, CA_HMS_LPG_80 and CA_MCM- 41_LPG_80 with bimodal pore size distribution (PSD) in the mesopores range. The results obtained show that mesoporous carbon with graphitic structures can be synthesized via the LPG route. / South Africa

La catalyse solide acide a été pendant longtemps l'objet d'activité de recherche intense, en particulier pour l'industrie pétrochimique. Aujourd'hui, les catalyseurs solides acides sont de plus en plus étudiés dans d'autres domaines et en particulier dans celles liées à la «chimie verte» et à la valorisation des bioressources, telles que la synthèse de biodiesel et la transformation des polysaccharides. L’objectif de la thèse est d’étudier le potentiel des matériaux poreux sulfonés ayant une porosité contrôlée dans des réactions catalysées par un acide en condition eau surchauffé telle que l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose. Dans une première partie, nous décrivons la préparation et la caractérisation des organosilicates mésoporeux périodiques sulfonés de type SBA-15, SBA-1 et KIT-6 par co-condensation de 1,4-bis (triéthoxysilyl) benzène (BTEB). Les matériaux ont été acidifiés suivant des voies différentes à l'aide de 3-mercaptopropyltriméthoxysilane (MPTMS)/H2O2 ou d'acide chlorosulfonique (ClSO3H). Leur propriété acide a été étudiée par adsorption d’NH3 suivie par calorimétrie et par la réaction de déshydratation d'isopropanol (IPA) comme réaction modèle en phase gazeuse. Contrairement à notre attente, l'adsorption d’NH3 suivie par calorimétrie a mis en évidence l'hétérogénéité de la force des sites suggérant la présence de sites distincts de la sulfonation. Les solides sulfonés avec l'acide chlorosulfonique ont une activité équivalente à celle de la résine sulfonée, Amberlyst 15, mais ils sont moins stables en raison de la libération des espèces de soufre. Les catalyseurs préparés en utilisant un groupement mercapto-propyle suivie d’une oxydation sont moins acides et ils ont donné des niveaux d'activité plus basse dans la réaction de déshydratation d'IPA. Pour l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose, de bonnes performances ont été obtenues à 150°C, mais, ces matériaux se sont montrés instables dans des conditions hydrothermales avec une lixiviation totale de soufre réalisant alors la réaction en phase homogène. Un lavage dans l'eau surchauffée des matériaux contenant des groupements propyles-SO3H conduit à une diminution de leur efficacité dans l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose, mais un gain de stabilité a été obtenu, permettant le recyclage de ces matériaux. Dans une deuxième partie, des répliques carbonées sulfonées par l’acide chlorosulfonique ou l’acide sulfurique ont été synthétisé. La sulfonation par l’acide sulfurique suivi par un lavage dans l’eau bouillante puis un prétraitement thermique à 300°C sous azote, de ces matériaux aboutissent au meilleur catalyseur en termes d’activité/stabilité. / Catalysis with solid acids has been for a long time the subject of intense research activities, especially for the petrochemical industry. Nowadays, solid acid catalysts are more and more studied in other areas and particularly in those related to “green chemistry” and bioresources valorization such as biodiesel synthesis and now polysaccharides transformations. The present work aimed to investigate the potential of acidic ordered mesoporous materials with a controlled local environment of the acid sites for applications in acid catalyzed reactions in hot water such as cellobiose hydrolysis. First we described the synthesis of periodic mesoporous organosilicas SBA-15, SBA-1 and KIT-6 types, from the condensation of 1,4-Bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene. The material was sulfonated using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane further oxidized with H2O2 or chlorosulfonic acid to give Brønsted solid acids which were fully characterised. Their acidic properties were studied by calorimetry of NH3 adsorption and in the model reaction of gas phase isopropanol dehydration. The calorimetry of NH3 adsorption has evidenced the heterogeneity of the acid strength distribution suggesting the presence of distinct sites of sulfonation contrary to our expectation. For gas phase isopropanol (IPA) dehydration, the solids sulfonated with the chlorosulfonic acid exhibited an activity equivalent to that of the sulfonated resin, Amberlyst 15, but were less stable due to sulphur species release, assumed to be sulfonated silanols. The acidic organosilicas obtained via H2O2 oxidation of the mercapto-propyl group are less acidic catalysts, showing a low activity for gas phase IPA dehydration. In the hydrolysis reaction, the solids were active at 150 °C however sulfur leaching analysis showed that the reaction preceded mainly homogeneously, especially for the material acidified with chlorosulfonic acid. A hot washing pre-treatment applied to the catalysts containing the sulfonated propyl groups, led to a decrease of their hydrolysis activity but along with a gain of stability allowing recycling. Second we described the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon and their sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid or sulfuric acid. Sulfonation of carbon replicas with sulfuric acid followed by washing in hot water and thermal pretreatment at 300°C under nitrogen, lead to the best catalyst in terms of activity / stability.