Amount Of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Research Articles

Surface engineering of Fe3O4@SiO2 Core–Shell nanoparticles: Role of CTAB/TEOS ratio

Core– shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles with tunable SiO2 shell thickness and porosity were successfully synthesized using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the crosslinking agent and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica precursor. The increase in the O-H stretching peak intensity observed in the Fe3O4/CTAB and Fe3O4/CTAB/SiO2 nanoparticles was attributable to the increased number of hydroxyl groups resulting from hydrogen bonding between the head of CTAB and water molecules and the increased exposure of the SiO2 surface owing to CTAB dissolution. The shell thickness and porosity of the nanoparticles were controlled by adjusting the TEOS/CTAB ratio. Increasing the CTAB content while maintaining a fixed amount of TEOS resulted in a constant shell thickness but increased porosity. Conversely, increasing the TEOS content while fixing the amount of CTAB led to the formation of a double-shell structure with a new dense silica layer on top of the existing shell at concentrations exceeding a certain threshold. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and application of SiO2-coated nanoparticles tailored for various applications.

Preparation and Properties of Lightweight Geopolymer by Bio-Based Foaming Agent.

Lightweight geopolymers have the advantages of a wide source of raw materials, chemical corrosion resistance, high mechanical strength and excellent durability, and are expected to replace traditional building insulation materials. In this paper, a green bio-based foaming agent with a small 1 h settlement distance, high average foaming multiple and low bleeding ratio was obtained by a Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide/yeast solution. When the amount of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide is 0.50 wt%, the foam prepared by the yeast and Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide solution exhibits the improved 1 h settlement distance, the large average foaming multiple, the small bleeding ratio and uniform foam size. Subsequently, a lightweight geopolymer based on metakaolin and fly ash (or silica fume) was successfully prepared by the bio-based foaming agent, and the effects of different foam content on the properties of the geopolymer, such as dry density, water absorption, thermal conductivity, compressive strength and morphology, were studied. With an increase in foam content, the dry density, thermal conductivity and compressive strength of the geopolymer gradually decrease, the water absorption increases, regardless of whether silica fume or fly ash are added. Herein, it is confirmed that the foaming agent based on yeast can be effectively used to prepare lightweight geopolymers, which can provide vast opportunities to turn into candidates for novel inorganic thermal insulation materials.

One‐pot method for instant nanoformulation via self‐assembling of alginate with quaternary ammonium for controlled release of emamectin benzoate

AbstractTo prompt the nanopesticides from laboratory investigation to agricultural application and reduce the use of pesticides and the impacts on the environment, sodium alginate (SA) was self‐assembled with cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) into stable and uniform nanoparticle under mild conditions. The structure of the nanoparticle was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), ζ‐potential measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and related to the loading and release properties. It was found that the nanoparticle size increased and ζ‐potential decreased with increasing concentration of SA, leading to higher loading efficiency and sustained release efficacy towards emamectin benzoate (EB). The amount of CTAB had little effects on the size of the nanoparticle, however made a competition to EB and reduced the loading and sustaining efficacy of the nanocarrier. The release of EB from SA‐CTAB nanoparticle was pH‐sensitive and was slower in the medium of higher pH value, due to the increased interaction with the nanocarrier. The entrapment into the nanoparticle greatly increased the insecticidal toxicity of EB due to the interaction between the carriers and cell membrane. The median lethal concentration of typical nanoformulation against Mythimna separata larvae was 30% of that of technical EB, after feeding to the insect for 48 h.

Effect of Cetyl Trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) amount on the Nanoindentation creep behaviour of Sn-cu-Y2O3 nanocomposite Lead-free solder

Sn-Cu-Y2O3 nanocomposite solder is synthesized from a citrate bath by pulse electrodeposition route. Y2O3 powder is synthesized from a sol-gel assisted combustion route. Different techniques such as SEM, XRD, and TEM are used to characterize Y2O3 powder. The particle size of Y2O3 powder is found to be 27 nm. The effect of adding cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) on the synthesis of Sn-Cu-Y2O3 nanocomposite lead-free solder is studied. The amount of CTAB is varied for a particular amount of Y2O3 powder. It is carried out to find the exact ratio of CTAB for better dispersion of Y2O3 powder in the electrolytic bath. Because the distribution of reinforcement in the matrix which is associated with the dispersion of Y2O3 powder in the electrolyte is as important as the amount of reinforcement in the solder matrix. For the synthesis of nanocomposite solder, the optimum ratio of CTAB to Y2O3 is found to be 1:1. After the synthesis of nanocomposite solder, the influence of Y2O3 powder on the melting temperature of the solder is also studied. Incorporating Y2O3 has little effect on the melting point of the nanocomposite solder. Nanoindentation creep test results showed that the deposit at 0.2 A/cm2 (monolithic solder) has a lower creep resistance than the nanocomposite solders. Additionally, the creep resistance of the nanocomposite with a CTAB to Y2O3 ratio of 1:1 was higher.

Harvesting optimization and Omega-3 recovery improvement from Schizochytrium DT3 using surfactant-aided dispersed air flotation: Response surface methodology

Microalgae's potential to produce high value bioactives is contingent on the cost-effective harvesting of algal biomass. The use of CTAB (cetyl trimethylammonium bromide) assisted dispersed air flotation as a harvesting technique for Schizochytrium biomass, was optimized as a cost-effective means for recovery (R) and concentration factor (CF) using Response Surface Methodology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to employ surfactant assisted dispersed air flotation (SDAF) in the recovery of a heterotrophic thraustochytrid strain. A Box-Behnken design of experiment investigating the operating parameters of CTAB amount, air flow rate and volume on Schizochytrium was employed. Initially, both responses were analyzed individually and then used to simultaneously maximize both variables. The optimized conditions of CTAB (500 mg/L), air flow of 2 L/min and volume of 600 mL resulted in a R of 91 % and CF of 19 times. Although a secondary step is necessary for further concentration, this technique utilizes 70 times less energy as compared to conventional centrifugation techniques which are used to recover Schizochytrium sp. This is significant as this technique can be easily adapted to existing bioreactors, as they are already equipped with gas spargers. In addition, the presence of surfactant carried through demonstrated an improvement in the recovery of long chain poly unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) by 6 %, particularly in DHA and DPA which was not observed in washed biomass.

Tuning scintillation property of CsLu2F7: Pr crystals for X-ray imaging

Lanthanide doped fluoride scintillators possess a diverse range of applications in the fields of computed tomography and medical imaging. In this study, CsLu2F7: Pr crystals have been synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method to realize X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL). Our results reveal that the reaction temperature and amount of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) can significantly change the morphology of the crystals; the suitable hydrothermal reaction conditions, the amount of CTAB, and the doping concentration of Pr3+ ions are favorable for the enhancement of the XEOL intensity; and the crystals exhibit good irradiation stability under prolonged X-ray excitation. In addition, we used the crystal to prepare scintillation films to realize XEOL imaging. This research provides crucial information to support an in-depth investigation into the XEOL performances of CsLu2F7 doped with lanthanide ions.

High performance potentiometric hydrogen sensor based on ZnO porous cage sensing electrode

In this paper, ZnO porous cages were prepared by a facile one-pot encapsulation-calcination method and used as sensing electrodes for planar mixed-potential hydrogen sensors. As the amount of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) added during the preparation increased, the size of the individual ZnO cage decreased while the average pore size increased. The hydrogen sensing performance was enhanced with the increase of CTAB addition. At 0.35 wt% CTAB addition, the response value of the cages to 20 ppm hydrogen at 450 °C was −60.8 mV, which was 11.5 times higher than that of the conventional particles. A high response of −10.6 mV was obtained for 0.3 ppm hydrogen. Moreover, the response time to 500 ppm hydrogen was 26 s, which was 10.6 times shorter than that of the particles. Better selectivity and excellent repeatability were also achieved. Superior potentiometric hydrogen performance is mainly attributed to the highly porous sensing electrodes constructed from cages.

Synthesis of Tungsten-Modified Sn3O4 through the Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide-Assisted Solvothermal Method for Dye Decolorization under Visible Light Irradiation

Novel tungsten-modified mixed-valence tin oxides (Sn3O4) with two oxidation numbers, such as Sn2+ and Sn4+, were successfully prepared by the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted solvothermal method in one-step using tin (II) chloride dihydrate and sodium tungstate (IV) dihydrate as the precursors for dye degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. The synthesized materials were characterized by various techniques to investigate the surface/structural morphology and the optical property. The presence of tungsten and the optimized amount of CTAB in the preparation method were favorable for the photocatalytic dye degradation reaction. In particular, when 0.03 of CTAB was added to W-modified Sn3O4 (W-Sn3O4@CTAB) and its concentration was 0.6 mg/mL, 10 mg/L of MO could be decolorized almost completely in 40 min, with the apparent reaction rate constant of 0.0496 min−1. The improvement of photocatalytic activity for this proposed W-Sn3O4 results from increased reduction power, enhanced separation of electron–hole pairs, extended visible light absorption range, and optimized band structure by CTAB additive. The radical trapping experiments showed that the main reactive species during the photocatalytic reaction are superoxide ions. The developed photocatalysts may contribute to the development of environmental improvement technology.

CTAB-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of platelike and nanorod-like NiMoO4 morphologies for supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution applications

In this work, the α-NiMoO4 nanostructures were directly grown on nickel foam with platelike and nanorod-like morphologies by using the various amounts of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant. The structural, microstructural, and electrochemical properties were explored as a function of CTAB contents. The particular morphology was transformed to platelike and nanorod-like by increasing the amounts of CTAB surfactant. The nanorod-like α-NiMoO4 sample showed the highest specific capacity of 2226 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1 and highest capability rate of 80 % by increasing the current density up to 5 Ag−1. Moreover, the α-NiMoO4 electrodes with nanorod-like morphology had the highest electrocatalytic activity, including the lowest overpotential of −177 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and the lowest Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1.

CTAB-assisted synthesis of porous cuboid NiCo2O4 powders for high-performance supercapacitor

NiCo2O4 powders with columnar-, rod-, porous cuboid-, and octahedral-like morphologies were prepared by hydrothermally treatment of oxalate precipitates in the presence of various amounts of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant. The structural, microstructural, and electrochemical properties of NiCo2O4 powders were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge/discharge techniques. Because of agglomeration of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles, the specific surface areas decreased from 36.3 to 14 m2 g−1 with CTAB content. The porous cuboid-like NiCo2O4 powders showed the highest specific capacitance of 1353 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, decreasing to 1021 F g−1 at 10 A g−1. The analyzed contribution of various storage mechanisms showed that a mixture of capacitive and diffusion-controlled processes was necessary for obtaining the highest specific capacitance. The porous cuboid-like NiCo2O4 powders//activated carbon hybrid capacitor showed the comparable performance of electrochemical energy storage, including energy density of 23.3 Wh kg−1 at power density of 1398 W kg−1.

Vanadium dioxide coatings with enhanced optical and thermochromic performances

Vanadium dioxide (VO2), a prospect intelligent heat-controlling materials, could be extensively applied in construction and automobiles as smart window coating for energy saving. However, the state-of-the-art VO2 coatings suffer from low solar modulation efficiency (ΔTsol) and unsatisfied transmittance in the visible region (Tvis), owing to the unreasonable particle size, small porosity as well as low-purity. In this line, herein, a simple, facile and cost-effective approach: i.e., annealing assisted solution strategy, was adopted to prepare VO2 coating with uniform particle size, high porosity and high-purity by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and home-made ammonium citrato-oxovanadate (IV) as dispersant and precursor, respectively. It is noticeable that the amount of CTAB is of vital importance for the particle size and porosity control, which in turn affects the overall performance of as-obtained VO2 coatings. The results demonstrate that the sample with small particle size and high porosity shows good local surface plasmon resonance behavior, high Tvis and enhanced ΔTsol. In correlation with simulation results, the sample prepared under molar ratio of CTAB to V is 0.1 displays superior ΔTsol of 13.4% and Tvis of 70.6%. Our work might provide a guidance for the modulation of the optical transmittance of VO2 nanoparticle coatings towards smart window coatings.

Fabrication and characterization of mesoporous yolk-shell nanocomposites as an effective reusable heterogeneous base catalyst for the synthesis of ortho-aminocarbonitrile tetrahydronaphthalenes.

Mesoporous yolk-shell nanocomposites (MYSNs) were loaded with a mobile CaMg core inside the silica shell. CaMg@MYS nanocomposites have been effectively prepared inside the inner cavity of a novel structure that consists of hollow mesoporous silica spheres. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and an amount of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) are coated on the carbon spheres used as a hard template in the multi-step synthetic procedure. In this method, the target products were obtained in high to excellent yields between 87-96% and quick response times between 10-20 minutes under mild conditions. The CaMg@MYS catalyst shows promise as an efficient and reusable catalyst in multicomponent processes. The CaMg@MYS multi-yolk spheres compared to metal oxide nanostructures indicated both high catalytic performance and a significant factor as a novelty. To identify each product, FT-IR, 1H NMR, and melting point techniques were applied. Also, in order to characterize the prepared catalysts, FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, elemental mapping, and HR-TEM techniques were applied.

Thermotropic Optical Response of Silicone-Paraffin Flexible Blends.

Organic phase change materials, e.g., paraffins, are attracting increasing attention in thermal energy storage (TES) and thermal management applications. However, they also manifest interesting optical properties such as thermotropism, as they can switch from optically opaque to transparent reversibly and promptly at the melting temperature. This work aims at exploiting this feature to produce flexible silicone-based blends with thermotropic properties for applications in glazed windows or thermal sensors. Blends are produced by adding paraffin (Tm = 44 °C, up to 10 phr) to a silicone bicomponent mixture, and, for the first time, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is also added to promote paraffin dispersion and avoid its exudation. CTAB is proven effective in preventing paraffin exudation both in the solid and in the liquid state when added in a fraction above 3 phr with respect to paraffin. Rheological results show that paraffin decreases the complex viscosity, but neither paraffin nor CTAB modifies the curing behavior of silicone, which indicates uniform processability across the investigated compositions. On the other hand, paraffin causes a decrease in the stress and strain at break at 60 °C, and this effect is amplified by CTAB, which acts as a defect and stress concentrator. Conversely, at room temperature, solid paraffin only slightly impairs the mechanical properties, while CTAB increases both the elastic modulus and tensile strength, as also highlighted with ANOVA. Finally, optical transmittance results suggest that the maximum transmittance difference below and above the melting temperature (65-70 percentage points) is reached for paraffin amounts of 3 to 5 phr and a CTAB amount of max. 0.15 phr.

Bacterial Response to the Surface Aging of PLA Matrices Loaded with Active Compounds.

The use of active components in biomaterials improves the properties of existing ones and makes it possible to obtain new devices with antibacterial properties that prevent infections after implantation, thus guaranteeing the success of the implant. In this work, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and magnesium particles were incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA) films to assess the extent to which progressive aging of the new surfaces resists bacterial colonization processes. For this purpose, the films' surface was characterized by contact angle measurements, ToF-SIMS and AFM, and adhesion, viability and biofilm growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria on these films were also evaluated. The results show that the inclusion of Mg and CTAB in PLA films changes their surface properties both before and after aging and also modifies bacterial adhesion on the polymer. Complete bactericidal activity is exhibited on non-degraded films and films with CTAB. This antibacterial behavior is maintained after degradation for three months in the case of films containing a higher amount of CTAB.

Boosting the photocatalytic properties of NaTaO3 by coupling with AgBr

AgBr/NaTaO3 composites, with different molar % of NaTaO3 (Br/NTO(X%)), have been synthesized by simple precipitation methods; bare NaTaO3 was synthesized by hydrothermal procedure, while AgBr was synthesized by a precipitation procedure using cetyl-tri-methyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) and AgNO3. Samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared photo-catalysts was evaluated through photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and caffeic acid (CAFA) under UV and visible illumination. Single AgBr material and Br/NTO(X%) composites displayed the ability to absorb light in the visible region, while NaTaO3 is only photoactive under UV irradiation. Based on the position of conduction and valence bands of AgBr and NaTaO3, the heterojunction between these two photo-catalysts corresponds to a type II junction. In the case of photocatalytic degradation of RhB and CAFA, Br/NTO(x%) composites have highest photocatalytic activity than that obtained by both parental materials under the same operational conditions. AgBr and Br/NTO(x%) composites achieve a fast degradation of MO, together with a considerable adsorption capacity, attributed to the presence of a remaining amount of residual CTAB on the AgBr surface. In summary, coupling AgBr with NaTaO3 improves the photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible illumination with respect to the parental components, but the performance of the composites is highly dependent on the type of substrate to be degraded and the illumination conditions.

CTAB assisted solvent-free mechanosynthesis of MAPbX3 nanocrystals: Stability, and photoresponse

In this study, we have used only multifunctional cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with a mechano-synthesis approach, which involves hand grinding to grow hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite, HPs, (MAPbX3, X ​= ​Br, I). Simplicity, swiftness, reproducibility, and harmony with green chemistry credentials make the mechano-synthesis process a preferable approach to the synthesis of HPs. We have prepared HPs using an equimolar amount of MAX and PbX2 with a mmol amount of CTAB. Steady-state photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and time correlate single-photon count (TCSPC) were performed to investigate the optical and structural features of mechanochemically produced perovskite. The thermogravimetric analysis informs about the thermal stability of the nanocrystals. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that mechanochemically synthesized HPs show high crystallinity and phase purity with stability over a period of time. The photoinduced current response of the perovskite reveals an excellent increase in photoconductivity when exposed to light (with a 1 ​V bias). The device fabricated of perovskite witnessed the prompt photoresponse under light illumination and temporally-stable photocurrent over the multiple cycles of light irradiation. The synthesized materials are useful for photovoltaic applications because of their phase purity, low bandgap, nanoscale size, long-term stability, and easy-to-produce approach.

Preparation of Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Modified Silica Nanoparticles via the Taguchi Approach.

In this study, oil-in-water Pickering emulsions (PEs) were prepared by modified silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) using the Taguchi approach. The surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) was performed in different conditions, temperatures, pH levels, and amounts of CTAB as a coating agent, followed by an evaluation of their physicochemical properties. After treatment of the SiO2 NPs, the relationship of the MSNs’ surface properties and their efficiency in stabilizing Pickering emulsions was investigated by considering the zeta potential (ZP) and emulsion physical stability as main responses, respectively. Results disclosed were then supported by additional characterization, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle (CA), and scanning electron microscopy. Results demonstrated that temperature has the most important role in the treatment of SiO2 nanoparticles, and allows for the identification of the best experimental conditions, i.e., range of zeta potential of MSNs to produce more efficient NPs, as well as the best stabilization of PEs.

Fracturing fluid applications of carboxylate-terminated low molecular weight PEI and CTAB formulations

It is imperative to develop new viscoelastic surfactants (VES) based fluid formulations that show promise as fracturing fluids for a more efficient hydrocarbon recovery. In this study, a novel hyperbranched polymer having multiple terminal carboxylate (C-PEI) functional groups was prepared using a simple one-pot, two-step synthesis method and characterized using 1HNMR, FTIR, and TGA. The terminal carboxylate moieties are employed as a chelating agent along with a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to develop different viscoelastic formulations of a low molecular weight polymer and a surfactant system. The amounts of C-PEI (2.5–7.5%) and CTAB (2.5–7.5%) that were used in 1:1 wt/wt percent with CaCl2 (10–30%) solutions at a temperature range of RT to 90 °C under the influence of shear rate (1–100 s−1) to find an optimum formulation and the most convenient conditions for exhibition of better viscoelastic properties. The shear-based viscosity was investigated to ascertain the typical viscoelastic behavior of a carboxylate terminated polymer and a cationic surfactant using a rheometer. The results showed that the concentrations of C-PEI and CTAB (7.5%:7.5% wt/wt) in the presence of 30% CaCl2 solution (85%) exhibited apparent viscosity of ~680 cPs at 90 °C under a shear rate of 100 s−1. The stability of optimized viscoelastic formulations was also assessed, and it was realized that there was no appreciable change in viscosity with respect to time. The gel-breaking results indicate that the addition of ~8.5% commercial diesel reduced the maximum apparent viscosity 682 cPs to 12 cPs at 90 °C. This novel viscoelastic system comprising of a low molecular weight hyperbranched polymer C-PEI and CTAB may potentially offer a more robust and efficient system for enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons from oil reservoirs.

Novel Facile Nanoformulation of levofloxacin quinolone antibiotic

In this study, new levofloxacin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles were prepared by sol–gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as pore generating agent. The synthesis conditions were tailored by varying the molar ratio of water, NaOH and amount of CTAB used. The synthesized silica carriers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) which showed that spherical particles with an average size between 80-87 nm were prepared. UV and Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of levofloxacin-nano particulate system and showed the participation of carboxylic group in the synthetic process. It is envisaged that nano based drug delivery of levofloxacin would serve as a promising and innovative tool against resistant bacterial infection.
 Keywords: Levofloxacin, Nanoparticles, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sol–gel

Towards the development of advanced hierarchical chabazite materials: Novel micro-mesoporous silicoaluminophosphate SAPO-34 zeolites

Conventional microporous and hierarchical SAPO-34 zeolites were synthetized by hydrothermal crystallization method. With that purpose, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) mesoporous template was directly introduced into the conventional gel, containing a microporous template (tetraethylammonium hydroxide, TEAOH), before starting the zeolite crystallization. The presence of both templates in the initial gel solution resulted in a microporous zeolite embedded in a physical mixture containing a mesoporous phase. To solve this issue, a defined aging period was implemented before the incorporation of CTAB to the microporous gel solution. The mesoporosity into the microporous SAPO-34 was successfully introduced by both One-pot and Aging methods. Only in the case of Aged Meso-0.15 material, the crystallinity, BET specific surface area and microporosity was conserved after the creation of mesopores. A previous heat treatment is required to form interconnected, pure and crystalline hierarchical pores structures. In order to get more insights into this original material, a series of new hierarchical zeolites was prepared by the same method, varying the amount of CTAB. A strong influence of this parameter was observed on the physicochemical properties. The formation of mesopores was achieved for all of them. Indeed, as the CTAB amount increased, the volume of mesopores increased. However, the volume of micropores, relative crystallinity and acidity seemed to follow an unexpected inverted-volcano trend.