A novel method of preparing thermally stable zirconia-based mesoporous materials was developed. The zirconia-based mesoporous materials of 2D-hexagonal structure were prepared using zirconium sulfate as the zirconium precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA) as the pore-directing agent with the aid of salt in the synthesis solution to reduce the sulfate content in the final product and significantly improve the crystallographic ordering. Post-treatment of the mesoporous material with NaCl solution and lowering the ramping rate to less than 0.2 degrees C/min during the calcination process, however, were the key steps to hinder the growth of the dense zirconia phase and to retain the ordered mesostructure up to 600 degrees C. It was found that a portion of the surfactant (8.9- 17.4 wt %) and sulfate ions (0.5- 1.2 wt %) were removed during the post-treatment, which prevented the remaining sulfate groups from being reduced by the hydrogen-rich surfactant during the calcination process as confirmed by sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and infrared spectroscopy. The maintenance of sulfur in the sulfate state seemed to be important in stabilizing the mesoporous structure of zirconia materials. The mesoporous zirconia materials after extraction with NaCl solution three times and calcination at 550-600 degrees C had the composition ZrO2-x(SO4)(x) with x = 0.10-0.27. The material possesses high surface area (similar to 200 m(2)/g), large pore volume (similar to 0.10 cm(3)/g), and wormlike mesopores. In comparison with the mesoporous zirconia materials stabilized by chemical treatment, the present route was simpler and more environmentally friendly and resulted in mesoporous zirconia materials of better thermal stability.