Synthesis and characterization of high surface area TiO2/SiO2 mesostructured nanocomposite

Recently titania synthesis was reported using various structuration procedures, leading to the production of solid presenting high surface area but exhibiting moderate thermal stability. The study presents the synthesis of TiO₂/SiO₂ nanocomposites, a solid that can advantageously replace bulk titania samples as catalyst support. The silica host support used for the synthesis of the nanocomposite is a SBA-15 type silica, having a well-defined 2D hexagonal pore structure and a large pore size. The control of the impregnation media is important to obtain dispersed titania crystals into the porosity, the best results have been obtained using an impregnation in an excess of solvent. After calcination at low temperature (400 °C), nanocomposites having titania nanodomains (～2–3 nm) located inside the pores and no external aggregates visible are obtained. This nanocomposite exhibits high specific surface area (close to that of the silica host support, even with a titania loading of 55 wt.%) and a narrow pore size distribution. Surprisingly, the increase in calcination temperature up to 800 °C does not allow to detect the anatase to rutile transition. Even at 800 °C, the hexagonal mesoporous structure of the silica support is maintained, and the anatase crystal domain size is evaluated at ～10 nm, a size close to that of the silica host support porosity (8.4 nm). Comparison of their physical properties with the results presented in literature for bulk samples evidenced that these TiO₂/SiO₂ solids are promising in term of thermal stability.     

高比表面积介孔氧化镍制备及表征

采用硝酸镍和草酸为原料,采用固态热分解法制备得到高比表面积的介孔Ni O纳米粒子,考察了原料的用量,热处理的温度,热处理的时间对孔结构的影响。用X射线衍射、透射电镜、扫描电镜和N2吸附-脱附技术对材料的物化性质进行了表征。结果表明:硝酸镍和草酸1∶1混合均匀、400℃灼烧4 h得到的介孔Ni O粒子的孔结构为最发达的蠕虫状介孔结构,比表面积和孔容分别达到236 m2·g-1和0.42 cm3·g-1。     

不同次级结构的硫酸钡多晶体制备研究

以过氧化钡(Ba O2)晶体为母体钡源,利用溶液中碱性条件下过氧化氢电离控制Ba O2分解速度,结合过量SO42-制备了具有Ba O2宏观形貌的Ba SO4多晶体,该多晶体由条形结构单元组成。进一步通过不同聚合物添加剂调节次级结构单元的形貌,在溶液中引入聚苯乙烯磺酸钠制备了由球形次级结构单元组成的Ba SO4多晶体;而在不同浓度的聚丙烯酸添加剂作用下,可制得由纳米颗粒和纳米棒状结构单元组成的Ba SO4多晶体。制备的多晶体材料为具有母体材料统一宏观形貌的大颗粒,其次级结构可通过聚合物添加剂调控,为合成具有特定形貌的功能晶体材料提供了一个新的途径。     

高比表面积多孔Si层柱蒙脱土材料的合成和表征

汽车排放是大气的重要污染源之一。柴油中的含硫分子燃烧后产生的硫氧化物直接导致酸雨,也是城市氮氧化物和颗粒物排放的主要来源。为减少柴油中硫对环境的危害,世界各国相继颁布了严格的柴油含硫标准,加之市场对超低硫柴油的需求,使得各种柴油脱硫技术的开发成为一大热点。而开发高活性的加氢脱硫催化剂则是既经济又简单的方法。     

Preparation of mesoporous silicon dioxide with high specific surface area

The influence of the reactant ratio on the specific surface area, total pore volume, and mean pore diameter of mesoporous silicon dioxide prepared by the sol-gel method was examined. The optimal reactant ratio for preparing the material with a high specific surface area was determimed.     

Synthesis of high surface area potassium hexatitanate powders by sol-gel method

Potassium hexatitanate (K₂Ti₆O₁₃) powders were synthesized by sol-gel method using supercritical drying to produce ion-exchangeable fine powders with high surface area. The effects of titanium alkoxides and mole ratios of K/Ti were investigated. By using sol-gel method, potassium hexatitanate powders were obtained at 630°C which is 350°C lower than that by melting method. The surface area of this sample was about 30–40 m²/g which was higher than that of melting method sample. Addition of H₂O and decrease in mole ratios of K/Ti increased surface area of powders.This work was partially supported by the IAEA (Research Program on Waste Treatment Immobilization Technologies Involving Inorganic Sorbent) contract. Many thanks to the IAEA's support.     

Preparation of CoNi high surface area porous foams by substrate controlled electrodeposition

We demonstrate that nanofabrication of 3D dendritic CoNi alloy foams with an open porous structure can be achieved by electrodeposition onto a single-crystalline Cu(111) substrate at ambient conditions. The very low wettability of this substrate caused by its low surface energy allows tailoring the CoNi deposit morphology. This is concluded from a comparison of polycrystalline Cu substrates with single-crystalline ones of different orientations. The advantages of the present CoNi alloy foams are low internal stresses and good mechanical stability on the substrate. In a second step, by comparing the catalytic properties of the achieved foam with those of CoNi layers obtained on polycrystalline Cu substrates, it is shown that the morphology of the CoNi layers has a decisive influence on the kinetics of the surface redox reaction. The higher reaction rate makes the open foam suitable as catalyst for oxygen evolution in electrolysers. The reversibility of the redox process provides great potential for the achieved porous layers to be used as positive material in alkaline batteries.     

Preparation of activated carbon with high surface area for high-capacity methane storage

Activated carbon （AC） was fabricated from corncob, which is cheap and abundant. Experimental parameters such as particle size of corncob, KOHlchar weight ratio, and activation temperature and time were optimized to generate AC, which shows high methane sorption capacity. AC has high specific surface area （3227 m^2/g）, with pore volume and pore size distribution equal to 1.829 cm^3/g and ca. 1.7-2.2 nm, respectively. Under the condition of 2℃ and less than 7.8 MPa, methane sorption in the presence of water （Rw = 1.4） was as high as 43.7 wt% methane per unit mass of dry AC. The result is significantly higher than those of coconut-derived AC （32 wt%） and ordered mesoporous carbon （41.2 wt%, Rw = 4.07） under the same condition. The physical properties and amorphous chaotic structure of AC were characterized by N2 adsorption isotherms, XRD, SEM and HRTEM. Hence, the corncob-derived AC can be considered as a competitive methane-storage material for vehicles, which are run by natural gas.

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Synthesis of mesoporous maghemite with high surface area and its adsorptive properties

Mesoporous maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃) with high surface area was prepared by the thermal decomposition of Fe–urea complex ([Fe(CON₂H₄)₆](NO₃)₃) with the aid of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and its adsorption ability for the removal of fluoride was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, transmission electron micrograph (TEM) observations, and magnetic measurements show that the γ-Fe₂O₃ has a mesoporous structure and its crystallite size, specific surface area, and magnetic properties can be controlled by varying the content of CTAB in [Fe(CON₂H₄)₆](NO₃)₃. The maximum adsorption capacity of the mesoporous γ-Fe₂O₃ for fluoride is estimated to be 7.9 mg/g, which suggests that the mesoporous γ-Fe₂O₃ is an excellent adsorbent for fluoride.     

Preparation and characterization of Pd/PPy-SDS/foam-Ni and Pd/PPy-CTAB/foam-Ni electrodes with high electroactive surface area

Surfactant-doped electrodes, palladium/polymeric pyrrole-sodium dodecyl sulfate/foam-nickel (Pd/PPy-SDS/foam-Ni) electrode and palladium/polymeric pyrrole-cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide/foam-nickel (Pd/PPy-CTAB/foam-Ni) electrode, were prepared by electrochemical deposition method. The characteristics of the prepared electrodes were investigated. Based on the results of scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetry tests, both of the two surfactants could improve the electrodes' electrocatalytic activity. Results also indicate that Pd/PPy-SDS/foam-Ni electrode has higher catalytic potential capability than Pd/PPy-CTAB/foam-Ni electrode.     

Preparation and characterization of uniform particles of flufenamic acid and its calcium and barium salts

Uniform fully dispersed particles of flufenamic acid, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug, were prepared by two different methods. In the first one, the drug solution in organic solvents was added to a non-solvent (water or aqueous solutions of stabilizers); while in the second procedure the drug was precipitated by acidifying its basic aqueous solutions. In addition calcium and barium salts of uniform spherical particles were obtained by precipitation in aqueous basic solutions of the drug. These salts are supposed to improve the drug reactivity. The prepared dispersions of the drug and its salts were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and electrophoresis.     

Coprecipitation of uranium and thorium with barium sulfate

The coprecipitation behaviour of uranium or thorium with barium sulfate is investigated from the variation of yields with uranium or thorium concentration, acid and acidity, and amount of sodium and/or potassium sulfate. Uranium or thorium in quantities less than 1.5 mg is quantitatively coprecipitated with barium (5.9 mg) sulfate when using an optimum conditions. The chemical form of uranium in barium sulfate precipitates is discussed by determination of mole ratio of potassium to uranium.     

Preparation of pitch-based activated carbon fibers with high specific surface area and excellent adsorption properties

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Activated carbon fibers (ACFs), as the third generation of activated carbon materials, are promising adsorbents due to their rich surface functional groups,...     

Fabrication and characterization of cerium-doped barium titanate inverse opal by sol-gel method

Cerium-doped barium titanate inverted opal was synthesized from barium acetate contained cerous acetate and tetrabutyl titanate in the interstitial spaces of a polystyrene (PS) opal. This procedure involves infiltration of precursors into the interstices of the PS opal template followed by hydrolytic polycondensation of the precursors to amorphous barium titanate and removal of the PS opal by calcination. The morphologies of opal and inverse opal were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The pores were characterized by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigation showed the doping structure of cerium, barium and titanium. And powder X-ray diffraction allows one to observe the influence of doping degree on the grain size. The lattice parameters, crystal size and lattice strain were calculated by the Rietveld refinement method. The synthesis of cerium-doped barium titanate inverted opals provides an opportunity to electrically and optically engineer the photonic band structure and the possibility of developing tunable three-dimensional photonic crystal devices.     

Recrystallization of 223Ra with barium sulfate

In this work, the kinetics of barium sulfate recrystallization has been studied in acidic 0.01 mol dm^?3 sodium sulfate solution using ²²³Ra and ¹³³Ba tracers at very low total radium concentration, i.e. less than 10^?13 mol dm^?3. It was found that the system follows the homogeneous recrystallization model and that recrystallization rates, inferred by the decrease of ²²³Ra and ¹³³Ba in the aqueous solution, are fast. Therefore, even at very low concentrations, below the solubility limit, radium will be retained by barium sulfate—a mineral present in the deep underground repository.     

The interaction of EDTA with barium sulfate

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a known complexing agent that interacts with a host of cations. In this paper, various techniques are used to elucidate the mechanism of interaction between EDTA and barium sulfate surfaces. It is shown that complexation with metal ions is not sufficient to explain the inhibition of barite crystallization but that other processes such as chemisorption must also occur. EDTA is shown to always adsorb as the mono-protonated species - suggesting that the molecule is able to lose a proton when it adsorbs at lower pH. Molecular modelling shows that the interaction of the surface barium ions with the carboxylate group is an important one. Finally, in situ turbidity measurements provide information about the mechanism of nucleation/growth modification. It is found that the EDTA molecule inhibits barium sulfate nucleation and that this could be its primary means of inhibiting precipitation of barium sulfate.     

Preparation of mesostructured siloxane-organic hybrid films with ordered macropores by templated self-assembly

Novel hierarchically ordered siloxane-based hybrid films with well-defined macropores and mesostructured pore walls have been prepared by the self-assembly process using oligomeric siloxane precursors bearing alkyl chains (CnH2n+1Si(OSi(OMe)3)3) in the presence of polystyrene opal films as a template. Either a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal structure or a lamellar structure was formed depending on the alkyl chain length of the precursors (n = 10 and 16, respectively). In both of the films, the mesostructures were oriented along the spherical surface of the template and were retained after removal of the template. Calcination of the 2D hexagonal hybrid produced ordered porous silica with both macro- and microporosities. The lamellar hybrid film exhibited a unique property of accommodating alkyl alcohols with an expansion of the interlayer spacings. These results provide a new concept for designing hierarchical hybrid materials that are potentially applicable as adsorbents, catalysts, sensors, and photonic crystals.     

Preparation of muscovite with ultrahigh specific surface area by chemical cleavage

The specific surface area of a muscovite sample increases drastically after exposure to a LiNO₃ solution, e.g., from 3.4 m²/g, corresponding to platelets of ca. 200 silicate layers, to 295 m²/g (platelets of ca. 2–3 silicate layers) after treatment at 180°C under atmospheric pressure for 46 h. The efficiency of the cleavage process decreases with decreasing temperature (down to 50°C). The LiNO₃/H₂O weight ratio is also very important: at 130°C and a reaction time of 46 h, for instance, a value in the range of 1.7–1.8 leads to the highest specific surfaces. The cleaved products have the form of strong papers that disperse readily in water. During the cleaving procedure, not only the particle thickness, but also the diameter decreases. There is no evidence of damage or partial dissolution of the silicate structure after cleavage, by IR spectroscopy and yield. The use of LiCl also leads to an increase in specific surface area, but the effect is weaker than in the case of LiNO₃. Treatment with some other alkaline and alkaline earth nitrates and chlorides did not increase the specific surface area of muscovite significantly.     

Formation and characterization of mesostructured silica nanotubes

The multi-walled mesoporous silica nanotubes are prepared using cetyltrimethylammonium bromize (CTAB) as the surfactant micellar template and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica precursor via a one-step wet chemical approach. The synthesized tubes are found to be double/triple walled and of amorphous nature. Their diameter and the length are about 100 nm to 1 μm and about 0.1–20 μm, respectively. The specific surface area approaches 1,488 m²/g. Based on the transmission electron microscopy analysis, it is inferred that the formation of the double/triple walled silica nanotubes is associated with the lamellar curling mechanism. A striking photoluminescence effect is detected in the mesostructured silica nanotubes. These nanotubes are expected to be a promising material for various applications such as gas storage, catalyst, or catalyst supports.     

Triconstituent co-assembly to ordered mesostructured polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites and large-pore mesoporous carbons with high surface areas

Highly ordered mesoporous polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites with interpenetrating networks have been successfully synthesized by the evaporation-induced triconstituent co-assembly method, wherein soluble resol polymer is used as an organic precursor, prehydrolyzed TEOS is used as an inorganic precursor, and triblock copolymer F127 is used as a template. It is proposed for the first time that ordered mesoporous nanocomposites have "reinforced concrete"-structured frameworks. By adjusting the initial mass ratios of TEOS to resol, we determined the obtained nanocomposites possess continuous composition with the ratios ranging from zero to infinity for the two constituents that are "homogeneously" dispersed inside the pore walls. The presence of silicates in nanocomposites dramatically inhibits framework shrinkage during the calcination, resulting in highly ordered large-pore mesoporous carbon-silica nanocomposites. Combustion in air or etching in HF solution can remove carbon or silica from the carbon-silica nanocomposites and yield ordered mesoporous pure silica or carbon frameworks. The process generates plenty of small pores in carbon or/and silica pore walls. Ordered mesoporous carbons can then be obtained with large pore sizes of approximately 6.7 nm, pore volumes of approximately 2.0 cm(3)/g, and high surface areas of approximately 2470 m(2)/g. The pore structures and textures can be controlled by varying the sizes and polymerization degrees of two constituent precursors. Accordingly, by simply tuning the aging time of TEOS, ordered mesoporous carbons with evident bimodal pores at 2.6 and 5.8 nm can be synthesized.