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A series of hierarchically porous materials with core-shell structures have been successfully fabricated through a modified Stober method. The interfacial growth of mesoporous silica with adjustable mesochannel orientation on the surface of ZSM-5 nanocrystal results in the formation of a core-shell structure. The zeta potentials of ZSM-5 nanocrystals have been carefully adjusted through interfacial assembly with a certain amount of anionic surfactants, thus inducing different electrostatic interactions with positively charged cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles. The alignment of the outer silicate mesopores around the ZSM-5 nanocrystals transforms from parallel into vertical relative to the zeolite surface, so that the orientation effect of interfacial interactions is experimentally confirmed to be effective in the epitaxial growth of mesoporous shell on the surface of nano-zeolite. The adsorption capacities of the composite porous materials have been dramatically improved after the epitaxial growth of mesoporous shells. Moreover, the materials demonstrate different diffusion efficiencies for organic molecules on the basis of their mesochannel alignments.

The ordered mesoporous material Cu–SBA-15 was synthesized under neutral condition via a one-step method that uses hydroxyl radicals instead of inorganic acid. The obtained samples were systematically analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, ICP–OES, N2 adsorption, and NH3–TPD. The adsorption and oxidation catalytic properties of SBA-15 were also investigated via the oxidative decolorization of organic dyes as a model reaction. Results illustrated that Cu–SBA-15 has an ordered mesoporous structure with homogeneous pore distribution and acid sites with a Cu/Si molar ratio of 0.034. Cu2+ ions incorporate homogeneously into the framework of the mesoporous silica rather than be at the extra-framework position in the form of CuO nanoparticles. Acetate ions not only accelerate the nucleation and crystallization of mesoporous silica but also contribute to the doping of Cu ions into the SBA-15 framework. Cu–SBA-15 materials exhibit a favorable catalytic activity in the oxidation degradation of organic dyes compared with CuO and Cu ion-exchanged Al–SAB-15.