Encapsulation of metal nanoclusters in various gel materials with organized porosity capabilities

INOR 732

Charlotte Sisk, charly.sisk@ttu.edu, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Box 41061, Lubbock, TX 79409-10061 and Louisa J Hope-Weeks, louisa.hope-weeks@ttu.edu, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.
The versatility of sol-gel processing using assorted precursor gel materials and variable pore network morphologies enables the selective encapsulation of various robust metals. This process permits alkoxide precursors of Ti, Si, and Al to form monolithic aerogels and xerogels with controlled pore structure and density. A salt of a catalytically active metal is adjoined to the prepolymer solution to form a mesoporous mixture upon which gelation occurs. The pore morphology is dictated by the nature of the matrix solvents and catalysts concurrent with encapsulation of the metal. We will report the use of alkoxide sol solutions for the purpose of incorporation of catalytically active nano-particle metals. The effect of the gelation conditions on the resultant structure and morphology of the monoliths will be evaluated and reported. In addition we will report the resultant effect of the metal salt on the monoliths with respect to concentration and metal counter ion.
 

Materials: Applications
7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006