Porous Composite Ceramic Catalysts with Embedded Nanoparticles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Catalysts synthesized by depositing catalytically active components on porous matrices often lack thermal stability, as they sinter at high temperatures, reducing their catalytic activity, and atomic layer deposition can block the catalytic surface, limiting their effectiveness in applications like combustion reaction gas conversion.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of block copolymers with polar and nonpolar domains, where nanoparticles are embedded in an inorganic matrix through sequential infiltration synthesis, followed by thermal annealing, plasma exposure, or UV ozone treatment to form porous composite ceramic materials with improved thermal stability and catalytic activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If catalytic components are deposited on porous matrix surface, then catalytic activity is achieved, but thermal stability deteriorates due to sintering at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds catalytic nanoparticles within the porous matrix structure rather than merely depositing them on the surface. This nesting approach prevents sintering by physically constraining nanoparticles within the matrix pores, while still maintaining catalytic activity through controlled exposure to reactants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates regions with different properties within the composite material - the matrix provides thermal stability and structural support, while the embedded nanoparticle regions provide catalytic activity. This local differentiation allows simultaneous optimization of both thermal stability and catalytic performance.
2Reliability
If atomic layer deposition is used to improve thermal stability, then thermal stability is enhanced, but catalytic surface is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the catalytic components from the surface deposition approach and embeds them within the matrix structure. This removes the blocking problem caused by surface coating while preserving thermal stability benefits, as the catalytic nanoparticles are contained within the matrix rather than coating the exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the porous structure of the matrix to accommodate embedded nanoparticles. The porosity allows reactant access to the catalytic sites while the matrix structure provides thermal stability, avoiding the surface blocking issue of atomic layer deposition.
3Productivity
If highly porous multicomponent heterostructures are created, then catalytic center accessibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pre-formed porous matrix structure as a template for embedding catalytic nanoparticles. This preliminary structure provides the porous architecture needed for reactant accessibility, while the embedding process is simplified by utilizing the existing matrix framework rather than creating the complex heterostructure from scratch.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting composite ceramic materials exhibit enhanced thermal stability up to 1200°C, maintaining catalytic activity and preventing sintering, while allowing for high interconnectivity and accessibility of reactants, thus improving catalytic performance in reactions like CO and CH4 oxidation.
Implementation Method 1
upon immersion in the swelling solution, the block copolymer swells
Implementation Method 2
the nanoparticle precursor adsorbs onto functional groups in the polar domain of the swelled block copolymer
Implementation Method 3
exposing the nanoparticle precursor infiltrated swelled block copolymer to a gaseous inorganic matrix material precursor using one or more cycles of sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) to infiltrate the polar domain with an inorganic matrix material
Implementation Method 4
thermally annealing the inorganic matrix infiltrated swelled block copolymer in the presence of oxygen at a temperature in the range of 300° C. to 700° C.
Implementation Method 5
thermally annealing the inorganic matrix infiltrated swelled block copolymer in the presence of oxygen
Implementation Method 6
exposing the inorganic matrix infiltrated swelled block copolymer to O2 plasma
Implementation Method 7
irradiating the inorganic matrix infiltrated block copolymer with UV light in the presence of ozone
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a method of preparing a porous composite ceramic material and a porous composite ceramic material made by the method of preparing.