# Influence of Synthesis Parameters in Obtaining KIT-6 Mesoporous Material
## 1 Introduction  
Mesoporous materials have been gaining considerable attention within the field of catalysis, adsorption and ion exchange, due to their unique properties and diverse applicability [1]. The KIT-6 mesoporous material has been intensely investigated by academics and industries in the last few years [2]. It has this name for having been discovered in the Korea Institute of Science and Technology [3]. It has a large average pore diameter (4-12 nm), wall thickness of 4 to 6 nm, and a tridimensional symmetric cubic structure _la3d_[4; 5]. It also has a large pore volume, a high surface area and a bi continuous interpenetrating network, with additional micropores [2; 6; 7]. The pores of the KIT-6 provide easy and direct access to the active sites, which facilitates the insertion or diffusion of species in its interior [8].  
The synthesis of KIT-6 was reported by [PERSON] et al. [9]. In a typical hydrothermal synthesis of this material, hydrochloric acid is used to keep the medium acid, the triblock copolymer P123 as organic structure template, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a source of silica; by contrast with materials such as SBA-15, butanol is used as a co-solvent and co-template. Each reagent has an indispensable function in the synthesis of KIT-6. The template enables the creation of materials with pores of different sizes and defined morphologies, thus producing channels that permeate the material [10].  
The source of silica has the function of being the base material that will form the walls of the porous structure. In a typical synthesis of KIT-6, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) is used due to its low cost and toxicity. The use of alcohol has the function of influencing the behavior of micelles during the synthesis process [11], facilitating P123 dissolution and helping in the organization of the cubic structure. The typical synthesis of KIT-6 follows pre-established times, which are necessary for the formation of its structure. Although there are no reports of works about the modification of reagents and stages of the KIT-6 synthesis process, there are several works about modifications in these parameters for similar mesoporous materials [12; 13; 14; 15]. However, studies aimed at reducing the synthesis time for this material are relevant because, as seen by [PERSON] et al. [12] in a study about SBA-15, the micelles of the template (P123) are already present in the first minutes of the synthesis.  
Various studies have been developed with materials similar to KIT-6 with the goal of modifying parameters and reagents in order to evaluate the behavior of such variations in the final material. In a study performed by [PERSON] et al. (2009) [15], the authors substituted P123 in the synthesis of SBA-15 for copolymers of polyethylene oxide (EO) and methyl polyacrylate (MA), which showed good results, promoting a material with hexagonal structure and good pore size distribution. Modifications in the source of the silica, as well as in the formation and organization stages of these materials, are also documented in the literature [16; 17; 18; 14]. Studies demonstrating modifications in the synthesis parameters and obtaining materials with different properties are also reported for other types of materials, such as ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) [19; 20]. Such studies show the importance of analyzing the synthesis parameters and how they interfere in the final material.  
Considering the promising characteristics of KIT-6 mesoporous material and due to the fact that there are no reports about modifications of its synthesis, the present study aims to vary parameters of KIT-6 synthesis in order to evaluate these changes in the structure and properties of the material.