Chemistry Letters, Vol.37, No.1, 30-31, 2008
Intermediate-range order in mesoporous silicas investigated by a high-energy X-ray diffraction technique
We perform a high-energy X-ray diffraction study comparing bulk amorphous silica with MCM-41 and SBA-15 that are representative mesoporous silicas prepared in basic and acidic conditions, respectively. It is revealed that mesoporous silicas, especially SBA-15, have less ordered structures and contain larger fractions of three- and four-membered rings than does bulk amorphous silica.