Metalized aerogels for applications in Catalysis

Abstract

In heterogeneous catalysis, carrier systems are most often composed of inorganic materials whereas organic scaffolds are much less represented. Heterogeneous catalysis using metal nanoparticles often suffers from loss of activity over time due to undesired release of metal into the reaction medium (catalyst bleeding). As an alternative to the direct loading of nanoparticles to the matrices, we have developed electroless plating methods for porous bodies that afford metal loading as films rather than particles. These films are distributed more evenly among the inner surface of the porous scaffold and less prone to typical degradation mechanisms such as nanoparticle detachment, nanoparticle agglomeration, or leaching. Here, we show that aerogels can be metalized using the electroless plating approach. More specifically, we demonstrate the homogenous decoration of porous organic scaffolds based on cellulose and resorcinol-formaldehyde with various transition metals including silver, gold, platinum, and others. Finally, the catalytic activity of our metalized aerogels is demonstrated and compared to nanoparticle-based catalyst systems. Preliminary spectroscopic tests indicate that there is no significant leaching of metal.