Embedding functionalized mesopores in silica materials is a straightforward approach for the design of adsorption materials suitable for volatile compounds such as acetaldehyde molecules. In this study, mesopores with protonated interior surfaces for porous clay nanoheterostructures (PCHs) originating from cost-effective and eco-friendly smectites were synthesized. The textural properties of both micro-and mesopores in the PCHs were analyzed by N 2 gas adsorption/desorption at −196 °C. Their chemical information was complemented by open-space analyses using positronium. The protonated mesopore surfaces enhanced the adsorption performance of acetaldehyde molecules through hydrogen bonds despite the reduction in mesoporosity. An approach to the tunability of protonation on the mesopore surfaces in PCHs is presented, focusing on the layer charge of base smectites caused by a few compositional percentage modifications.
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