Mesoporous alumina obtained by combustion synthesis without template

Mesoporous alumina has been synthesised by the solution combustion synthesis method. While often the synthesis of mesoporous materials with a relatively narrow pore distribution requires the use of a template, this technique allows a simple and rapid synthesis of pure alumina without the use of any templating agent: by regulating the synthesis conditions is possible to obtain from relatively low surface area α-alumina to high surface mesoporous γ-alumina. The porosity of the latter was assessed chiefly by density functional method and was found to be in the range 2.8–3.5 nm. Low angle X-ray diffraction experiments demonstrated a partial ordering of the structure, with a periodicity in the range 5.5–6.9 nm. The addition of lanthanum to the alumina was tested and found to confer a good temperature resistance to the alumina, without modifying the mesoporous structure. After a prolonged heat treatment at 900 °C the mesoporosity of lanthanum-modified samples was retained, even if the pores size increased and the specific surface area decreased.