Azeotropic distillation-assisted preparation of macro-mesostructured γ-Al 2O 3 nanofibres of crumpled sheet-like morphology

Abstract

A three-step preparation of macro-mesostructured γ-Al 2O 3 nanofibres with a large pore volume of 4.21 cm 3 g −1 and a high specific surface area of 396.3 m 2 g −1 has been reported by H 2O 2-precipitated boehmite from sodium aluminate solution, followed with azeotropic distillation and calcination. The boehmite nanofibres of crumpled sheet-like morphology about 5–10 nm thick and over 100 nm long were preserved after calcination. A mechanism of n-butanol-induced crumpled sheet-like boehmite nanofibres formation was proposed. This interaction between butoxy groups (CH 3(CH 2) 3O ) and the surface of boehmite crystallites through hydrogen bonds induces profound changes in the morphology of boehmite particles and their growth.