Metastability of MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41

The apparent stability of MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 in water was appraised in a series of solubility experiments. MCM-41 is a siliceous, mesoporous material of hexagonal symmetry and exceptionally high surface area first synthesized in 1992. The dissolution experiments were carried out at several solid/water ratios: 1/200, 1/100, and 1/75. Results indicated that MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 are more soluble than amorphous silica at ambient temperatures. Using standard thermodynamic data, a minimum Gibbs free energy of formation of -847.9 kJ/mol for MCM-41 was calculated compared to -848.85 kJ/mol for amorphous silica and -856.3 kJ/mol for quartz. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of recovered solids indicated a progressive loss of crystallinity in MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 over the 79 day dissolution experiment. BET nitrogen surface area analyses of recovered solids revealed no appreciable change in the surface area of either material after 79 days of reaction in water. Field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) images taken of the 79 day MCM-41 sample showed some degradation of the initial structure-fine, worm-like particles.