Different routes,including the replacements of the template,addition of pore expander and hydrothermal post-synthesis treatment have been used for the pore engineering of spherical MCM-41.A comparison among the pore engineering effects of these methods has been made.The results show that the hydrothermal post-synthesis treatment affords the synthesized material with a larger pore size and narrow pore size distribution without changing the spherical morphology.As far as the pore-size expansion is concerned,the addition of DMTA is the most effective one,but this might be limited by the spherical morphology.Combining the replacement of C16TMABr with the Gemini surfactant GEM 16-8-16 with an addition of DMTA gives rise to the largest pore volume and surface area.