Mesoporous silica with strongly acid sulfonic sites were synthesized and used as catalytic supports for catalytic dehydration of 1-propanol. This porous material with a large surface area and high porosity were prepared by a simplified sol-gel in an acidic medium and impregnated easily by -SO3H groups. The experimental results indicate that the very strong acidic sites contained on the surface are the seats of the reaction involving two molecules of n-propanol. By hydrogen bonding, ether compounds as well as the corresponding alkene are obtained in appreciable yield.

Adsorption of light organic compounds such acetone, 1-propanol and carbon dioxide was tested by using mesoporous silica materials made from non ionic surfactant with long chain and silica sources as tetraethylorthosilicate TEOS and modified Na-X and Li-A Zeolites. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to characterize the silica particles of a variety prepared samples. Acetone, 1-propanol and CO2 adsorption at 298K was evaluated by a volumetric method and indicate a high sorption capacity of organic compounds depending essentially on the porous texture of adsorbents. An adsorption kinetic model was proposed to describe the adsorption of VOCs over template-free mesoporous silica materials. A good agreement with experimental data was found.