Zeolite materials prepared using silicate waste from template synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon

Highlights: • Ordered mesoporous carbon was prepared by nanocasting of mesoporous silica template. • The silica waste from the dissolved-out template was analyzed using 29Si NMR. • The silica waste consists of mainly monosilicate or disilicate groups. • The silica waste was recycled to produce LTA and MFI type zeolites. • This method reduces not only cost of production, but also environmental pollution. -- Abstract: Significant amount of silica waste is generated in the preparation of porous carbon materials using template synthesis. Industrial production of such porous carbon not only creates waste chemicals, but also poses significant environmental concerns and high waste treatment cost. Recycling is proposed as the best solution for tackling such chemical wastes. In this study, etched silica waste released from template synthesis of mesoporous carbon is recycled to produce precious functional microporous zeolite materials. The solid silica template is etched out with NaOH solution to produce silica-free mesoporous carbon. The collected silica waste is recycled to generate zeolites such as LTA and MFI type silica materials. The formation of zeolites is confirmed by FT-IR, XRD, 29Si NMR, 27Al NMR, and SEM. This straight forward green chemistry route not only recycles the waste chemicals, but also decreases environmental pollution for better improvement of our living