Patent ID: RE40299

Claim:
A method of making mesoporous silica materials, comprising the steps of (a) combining a silica precursor with an aqueous solvent, an acid and a surfactant having an ammonium cation into a silica precursor solution, (b) templating the silica precursor with the surfactant and obtaining the mesoporous material from the templated silica precursor, (c) forming said silica precursor solution into a preform; and (d) rapidly evaporating said aqueous solvent from said preform for obtaining the mesoporous material, wherein the improvement comprises: (i) providing said aqueous solvent in an amount resulting in complete hydrolysis and providing said acid in an amount maintaining a hydrolyzed precursor and avoiding gelation or precipitation; and (ii) providing said surfactant and said silica precursor in a mole ratio that is above a lower mole ratio that produces a non-porous silica phase and below an upper mole ratio that produces a lamellar phase.