Carboxymethylcellulose template synthesis of porous aluminium oxide from hybrid spheres: influence of the degree of substitution and polymerization

Abstract

Catalytic supports based on aluminum oxide were synthesized by the method of hybrid spheres using carboxymethylcellulose as organic precursor (template) and aluminum nitrate as inorganic precursor. The characterizations were performed by analysis of TG, XRD, FTIR, SEM and N2 physisorption. The study of synthesis indicated that the characteristics of the biopolymer (degree of substitution and polymerization) directly influence on the limit ratio between organic and inorganic precursor in order to observe the formation of the hybrid spheres. The physicochemical properties of the final material (structure by XRD, texture by N2 physisorption and morphology by SEM) showed a direct dependence with the biopolymer properties, indicating the versatility of this synthetic route. FTIR spectra confirm the formation of a hybrid material, comparing the pure CMC spectrum with the solids after drying. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm and SEM images confirm the formation of highly porous materials with a specific surface area between 50 and 162 m2/g.