Patent ID: 8685356

Claim:
A method for synthesizing a mesoporous silica article with crystalline pore walls, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a mesoporous silica starting material comprising silica and oxygen; b. infiltrating the mesoporous starting material with a carbon source to form an infiltrated starting material; c. placing the infiltrated starting material into a high-pressure apparatus; and d. subjecting the infiltrated starting material to a pressure greater than 1 GPa and lower than or equal to 4 GPa; and e. heating the infiltrated starting material at a temperature and for a time sufficient to crystallize the pore walls of the starting material to thereby form a mesoporous article that has crystalline pore walls and pores filled with carbon; and f. heating the mesoporous article to a temperature sufficient to oxidize the carbon, thereby removing carbon from the pores to yield a mesoporous silica article having crystalline pore walls.