The influence of synthesis parameters and post-synthesis treatments on the hydrophobic/hydrophilic character of SBA-15 type ordered mesoporous silicas (OMS) was studied. It was found that the duration of ripening can be reduced to the precipitation time. Temperature, stirring and duration of synthesis steps can modulate the morphology of particles and aggregates. Heating process, presence of an inorganic salt and silica/surfactant ratio are also parameters that affect the structure and texture of the material. Concerning post-synthesis treatments, the elimination of the template and the functionalization by grafting were considered. The rate of silanols decreases during aging but mostly after calcination: this step erases the differences in silanol content. This is why a new method for an effective (at 300 ° C) and fast (for 15 min) removal of the surfactant has been implemented: the calcination using an induction furnace leads to a material with structural, textural properties and silanol content greater than those of a SBA-15 material calcined by the conventional method. The calcination induction has also been successfully applied on different types of OMS such as SBA-16 and MCM-41. Then, the influence of the OMS characteristics on functionalization by post-synthesis grafting was studied. The more hydrophobic SBA-15 material was obtained with a grafting agent possessing a single condensable function. It was also observed that the initial content and the accessibility of silanols probably have a significant impact on the grafting rate.
