Characterization and synthesis of Ce-incorporated mesoporous molecular sieves under microwave irradiation condition

Ce-incorporated MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves (CeMCM-41) were synthesized by microwave irradiation method from sodium silicate and ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate precursors and using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as template. The resulting samples were characterized by means of XRD, TEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis, XPS and N₂ physical adsorption, respectively. The effect of the Si/Ce molar ratio on the textural properties of CeMCM-41 was investigated. The results reveal that the CeMCM-41 was successfully synthesized. The resultant mesoporous materials have specific surface areas in the range of 602–1,216 m²/g and pore sizes in the range of ca. 2.6–2.9 nm. The structural properties are related to the amount of cerium incorporation. The surface area and pore volume of the resulting CeMCM-41 were gradually reduced as the cerium content in the sample increased, and the mesoporous ordering diminished.