Synthesis of a Low-Density Copper Oxide Monolithic Aerogel Using Inorganic Salt Precursor

Abstract

Copper oxide monolithic aerogel was prepared by sol–gel method using inorganic salt as precursor, ethanol as the solvent, and propylene oxide as the gelation agent. Calcination of the as-prepared aerogels at different temperatures induced a phase change which resulted in the formation of a mesoporous copper oxide aerogels. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Highresolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) methods were used to characterize the as-prepared aerogels. The combined results indicated that the as-prepared CuO aerogel has high porosity, high surface area, and low density. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the as-prepared CuO aerogel is highly crystalline and is identified to be predominantly copper chloride hydroxide, Cu2Cl(OH)3。