Synthesis of homogeneously dispersed cobalt nanoparticles in the pores of functionalized SBA-15 silica

• Cobalt nanoparticles were prepared at room temperature by reducing cobalt sulfate heptahydrate with sodium borohydride and using functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica as a hard template. It was found that both external and internal fuctionalization of silica walls play a crucial role on the infiltration and reaction of the reagents in the silica framework. Subsequent heat treatment of the impregnated silica at 500 °C in air or nitrogen atmospheres leads to growth of crystals of the deposited cobalt and formation of cobalt and cobalt oxide nanoparticles, respectively. Dissolution of the silica template by NaOH resulted in well dispersed Co and Co3O4 nanoparticles ranging in size from 2 to 4 nm. The functionalization of the silica was studied by FTIR, N2-physisorption, and thermogravimetric techniques and the obtained nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM and EDX analysis.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Functionalization; Cobalt; Cobalt oxide; Nanoparticles; SBA-15 silica; Sodium borohydride

NATURAL SCIENCES

NATURVETENSKAP

Materialteknik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)