Formation of cellular metals with unusual liquid uptake properties from cyanogel precursors

INOR 390

Christine M. Burgess, cmburges@princeton.edu, Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Labs, Princeton, NJ 08540 and Andrew B. Bocarsly, bocarsly@princeton.edu, Department of Chemistry, Frick Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
Cyanogels are amorphous cyanide bridged transition metal polymers that produce metal alloys when heated in an inert atmosphere. Alloy production is due to the ability of the cyanide ligands to act as a reducing agent at elevated temperatures (>250oC). The synthesis of macroporous metal alloy frameworks from cyanogel is a facile and versatile method due to the properties of the precursor. The macroporous metals produced from cyanogels have pore diameters ranging from 2-30 microns which allows for capillary uptake of a variety of solvents. As a result these materials not only appear spongy, but in fact are traditional sponges. A variety of metal alloys have been produced with this porous morphology including palladium-cobalt, palladium-iron, and platinum-cobalt. This work looks at the scope of this reaction and considers the mechanism behind the formation of these macroporous metal alloys.

 

Synthesis and Characterization of Materials
1:30 PM-5:30 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- 206 A/B, Oral

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007