TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compositions: The catalyst comprises metal oxide particles comprising magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, and/or barium oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Materials: The alkaline earth metal is magnesium, calcium, or barium. Preferred Properties: The pores of the particle are 1-20 nm in diameter. Preferred Compositions: The catalyst has silicon to alkaline earth metal ratio of 0.1:1-10:1. Preferred Properties: The alkaline earth metal is calcium and bridging silicate tetrahedra are connected to form Q3-type silicon atom geometry, and the catalyst exhibits spherical or sheet-like particle morphology with wormlike or channel-like mesopores.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The ester comprises 8-22C fatty acid ester. It is a mono-, di-, or tri-ester of glycerol. The 1-4C alcohol is methanol or ethanol. Preferred Conditions: The formation of ester is carried out at less than 100degreesC, without added solvent. EXAMPLE - The preparation of mesoporous calcium silicate (MCS) catalysts involved co-condensation reaction to create a mixed metal oxide system. The catalysts were synthesized by first dissolving n-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB, 2.74 mmol) in 480 ml of 15 mM aqueous sodium hydroxide. This solution was heated to 80degreesC, followed by dropwise addition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS, 22.4 mmol). White solids were observed in the initially opaque emulsion 90 seconds upon mixing. Calcium oxide (CaO) was added slowly to the stirring solution during the TEOS addition process. The reaction was vigorously stirred at 80degreesC for 2 hours, followed by hot filtration of the as-synthesized MCS product. The as-synthesized material was washed with water and methanol and freeze dried. Surfactant removed catalysts were obtained via calcination in air at 600degreesC for 6 hours. Three catalysts, with varying calcium oxide loading, were synthesized. MCS-1 catalyst was prepared by the above co-condensation method using 17.8 mmol CaO, MCS-2 was prepared with 8.9 mmol CaO, and MCS-3 was prepared with 4.45 mmol CaO.