a b s t r a c tHighly ordered SBA-15-type ethane-bridged PMOs have been obtained by employing H 3 PO 4 as acid to tune the pH in the presence of copolymer surfactant P123. The effects of the acidity and the addition of inorganic salt on the formation of the mesostructure are investigated. It is found that, compared with HCl, the polyprotic weak acid H 3 PO 4 is preferable for the synthesis of highly ordered SBA-15-type ethane-bridged PMOs with larger pore size and surface areas under mild acidic conditions. Moreover, taking the advantages of the mild acidic condition, vanadium-containing SBA-15-type ethane-bridged PMOs were successfully prepared through a direct synthesis approach. The XRD, N 2 -sorption, UVeVis and CW-EPR studies of the V-PMO show that part of the vanadium species are present in polymeric (VeO eV) n clusters, while part of the vanadium centers are well-dispersed and immobilized on the inner surface of the mesopores.