Premium
An Eco‐friendly Soft Template Synthesis of Mesostructured Silica‐Carbon Nanocomposites for Acid Catalysis
Author(s) -
Zhong Ruyi,
Peng Li,
de Clippel Filip,
Gommes Cedric,
Goderis Bart,
Ke Xiaoxing,
Van Tendeloo Gustaaf,
Jacobs Pierre A.,
Sels Bert F.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201500728
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , catalysis , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , physisorption , mesoporous material , pyrolysis , mesoporous silica , sulfonic acid , small angle x ray scattering , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , composite number , composite material , scattering , optics , transmission electron microscopy , engineering , physics
The synthesis of ordered mesoporous silica‐carbon composites was explored by employing TEOS and sucrose as the silica and carbon precursor respectively, and the triblock copolymer F127 as a structure‐directing agent via an evaporation‐induced self‐assembly (EISA) process. It is demonstrated that the synthesis procedures allow for control of the textural properties and final composition of these silica‐carbon nanocomposites via adjustment of the effective SiO 2 /C weight ratio. Characterization by SAXS, N 2 physisorption, HRTEM, TGA, and 13 C and 29 Si solid‐state MAS NMR show a 2D hexagonal mesostructure with uniform large pore size ranging from 5.2 to 7.6 nm, comprising of separate carbon phases in a continuous silica phase. Ordered mesoporous silica and non‐ordered porous carbon can be obtained by combustion of the pyrolyzed nanocomposites in air or etching with HF solution, respectively. Sulfonic acid groups can be readily introduced to such kind of silica‐carbon nanocomposites by a standard sulfonation procedure with concentrated sulfuric acid. Excellent acid‐catalytic activities and selectivities for the dimerization of styrene to produce 1,3‐diphenyl‐1‐butene and dimerization of α‐methylstyrene to unsaturated dimers were demonstrated with the sulfonated materials.