Patent ID: 9573818
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: C01B,C01P,Y10T

Claim:
1. A process for preparing a mesoporous silica composition comprising contacting as starting components (1) a structure-directing template comprising plant-based oils selected from castor oil, mustard oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, coconut oil, linseed oil, sesame oil, and combinations thereof; (2) water; (3) silica; and (4) a structure-directing co-template comprising poloxamers having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 Daltons (Da), and combinations thereof; in the substantial absence of an alcohol solvent; under conditions such that a mesoporous silica having an average pore diameter ranging from 50 angstroms to 175 angstroms and a pore diameter distribution that, within one standard deviation of the mean thereof, is substantially unimodal, is formed.