Preparation of Macroporous Mn3O4 Microspheres via Thermal Decomposition in Water Vapor

Abstract

AbstractMacroporous materials are in constant demand for use in environmental purification filters. Although the preparation of porous materials by a thermal decomposition route without templates and surfactants is simple, low‐cost, and scalable, the pore size of the resulting materials is limited to micropore or mesopore regions. Herein, I report the preparation of macroporous Mn3O4 microspheres from MnCO3 spheres via thermal decomposition in water vapor. The accelerated decomposition of MnCO3 by water vapor facilitates vermicular growth of Mn3O4 primary particles at a low temperature, leading to the formation of a maze‐like pore structure. The characteristic microstructure of macroporous Mn3O4 microspheres exhibits nanoparticle capture properties and inherited its pore structure of Mn3O4 during conversion to Mn2O3 by reheating. This study reveals new possibilities for the application of the thermal decomposition method to prepare macroporous particles.