Development of Mesoporous Oxide Structure Using Non‐Ionic Surfactants for Adsorptive Application

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of non‐ionic surfactants in developing the structure of an oxide during preparation by precipitation method using Polysorbate 20 as a surfactant. Effects of surfactant concentration and structure, pH, aging temperature, and zinc doping on oxide properties were investigated. Zinc‐doped samples were evaluated for thiophene adsorption in a down‐flow packed bed reactor at ~30°C. The use of surfactant modified the structure of aluminum oxide, increasing the fraction of mesopores as well as surface area and pore volume at all concentrations of surfactant. However, the variation of surface area with surfactant concentration was not significant. Bayerite was observed as the predominant phase in all samples. Alkaline pH improved surfactant–hydroxide interaction, increasing average pore size. The surface area of the samples did not differ significantly, but the pore volume increased from 0.6 to 1.1 cc/g as aging temperature increased. A more uniform and narrower mesopore distribution was observed for the oxide prepared in the presence of Polysorbate 20 compared to that prepared using Polysorbate 60 or Polysorbate 80, suggesting higher interaction with the former. Zinc (30 wt%) supported on Polysorbate 20‐modified aluminum oxide showed greater thiophene removal than zinc on unmodified oxide, highlighting the effectiveness of surfactant‐modified supports for adsorptive applications.