Preparation of mesoporous petal-like MgAl2O4 via molten-salt assisted nonhydrolytic sol–gel method

Mesoporous petal-like MgAl 2 O 4 spinel has been prepared by molten salt assisted nonhydrolytic sol–gel method. The influence of Mg/Al molar ratio (0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.70 and 0.80) on the morphology and surface area of MgAl 2 O 4 was investigated. The results reveal that Mg/Al molar ratio has a significant influence on the morphology. At Mg/Al molar ratio of 0.7, the achieved petal-like MgAl 2 O 4 is highly uniformed in morphology, the surface area and pore volume reached maximum values of 141 m 2 g −1 and 0.24 cm 3 g −1 , respectively. These properties make it have promising applications in the catalyst support field.