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Morphology control of nickel nanoparticles prepared in situ within silica aerogels produced by novel ambient pressure drying

Lookup NU author(s): Jialu Lu, Dr Jiabin Wang, Khalil Hassan, Zhengguang Xiao, Professor Lidija Siller

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Silica aerogels are low density solids with high surface area and high porosity which are ideal supports for catalyst materials. The main challenge in aerogel production is the drying process, which must remove liquid from the pores of the wet gel while maintaining the solid network. In this work, the synthesis of silica aerogels and nickel-doped silica aerogels by a low energy budget process is demonstrated. Silica aerogels are produced by ambient drying using ammonium bicarbonate, rather than a conventional low surface tension solvent. Heating dissociates the ammonium bicarbonate, so generating CO2 and NH3 within the pores of the wet gel which prevents pore collapse during drying. Nickel-doped aerogels were produced by reducing nickel ions within pre-synthesised silica aerogels. The morphology of the resulting nickel particles – spheres, wires and chains – could be controlled through an appropriate choice of synthesis conditions. Materials were characterized using nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. The surface area of undoped aerogel is found to increase with the concentration of ammonium bicarbonate salts from 362 to 533 m2 g-1, and that of nickel-doped silica aerogel from 236 to 313 m2 g-1.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Lu J, Wang J, Hassan KT, Talmantaite A, Xiao Z, Hunt MRC, Siller L

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Scientific Reports

Year: 2020

Volume: 10

Online publication date: 16/07/2020

Acceptance date: 02/06/2020

Date deposited: 24/07/2020

ISSN (electronic): 2045-2322

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68510-4

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68510-4


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
EP/R000131/1EPSRC
EP/R021503/1EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC/BEIS

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