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Nanoporous carbon supported metal particles: their synthesis and characterisation

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Abstract

In the current work, a simplified hard templating approach is used to synthesise metal (Ag, Rh, Ir and Pt) containing structured carbon. The target metals are first introduced into the NaY zeolite template by wetness impregnation. The metals are carried in the super cages of the zeolite and subsequently embedded in the final structures after the steps of carbonisation and the template removal. Scanning electron microscopy images have confirmed that the carbon structures produced by this method retain the morphology of the original template. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the presence of dispersed metal particles in all the carbon structures produced. The metal loadings in these templated structures can reach 35 wt% without significant losses of surface areas and pore volumes. Selected carbon supported metals are tested for their catalytic activity for the methanation of carbon monoxide. The finding suggested that this method is effective in preparing metal nanoparticles for use as catalysts.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for CSIRO and Monash University for providing financial support. Author Y.-X. Yang thanks for the work conducted under the PhD supervision by Professor Paul A. Webley and Professor Dongyuan Zhao at the Department of Chemical Engineering in Monash University in Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering, Melbourne, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Yunxia Yang, Liangguang Tang, Nick Burke & Ken Chiang

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  1. Yunxia Yang
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  2. Liangguang Tang
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  3. Nick Burke
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  4. Ken Chiang
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Correspondence to Yunxia Yang.

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Yang, Y., Tang, L., Burke, N. et al. Nanoporous carbon supported metal particles: their synthesis and characterisation. J Nanopart Res 14, 1028 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1028-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1028-9

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