Publication
Title
A green route to copper loaded silica nanoparticles using hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) as a biomimetic template : application in heterogeneous catalysis
Author
Abstract
Copper containing silica nanostructures are easily produced through a low cost versatile approach by means of hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (PEI), a water soluble dendritic polymer. This dendritic molecule enables the formation of hybrid organic/inorganic silica nanoparticles in buffered aqueous media, at room temperature and neutral pH, through a biomimetic silicification process. Furthermore, the derived hybrid organic/inorganic materials dispersed in water can be easily loaded with various copper amounts, due to the presence of PEI, which, despite having been integrated in the silica network, retains its strong copper chelating ability. Following calcination, the obtained copper loaded nanopowders are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N-2 adsorption, Temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance (UV-Vis-DR) techniques and evaluated for automotive exhaust purification under simulated conditions at the stoichiometric point. Effective control over final materials' pore structural and morphological characteristics is provided by employing different buffer solutions, i.e., tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) or phosphate buffer. It was found that the enhancement of the nanopowders textural features, obtained in the presence of Tris buffer, had a great impact on the material's catalytic behavior, improving significantly its activity towards pollutants oxidation.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Catalysts
Publication
2017
ISSN
2073-4344
DOI
10.3390/CATAL7120390
Volume/pages
7 :12 (2017) , 13 p.
Article Reference
390
ISI
000419187400037
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Development of next generation cost efficient automotive catalysts (NEXT-GEN-CAT).
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.02.2018
Last edited 09.10.2023
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