Tetraethoxysilane → Erbium laurate water

Participants

Reaction Steps

An Erbium laurate water solution was prepared and warmed in a closed polypropylene container to 70° C. for 10 hours to induce the complete dissolution of the soap. To this solution Trimethyl ammonium hydroxide was added, and the solution was stirred for a further 2 hours. Ammonium propyl silane was added followed by tetraethyl orthosilicate. The synthesis gel had a final molar ratio of 1:1000: 12.5:1 (Erbium Laurate: water: tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide: Tetraethyl orthosilicate). The synthesis gel was treated hydrothermally, at 110° C. for 3 days before it was filtered and dried at RT under static air conditions. The alkyl chains of the soap were removed by calcination at 500° C., under flowing oxygen. The low angle XRD pattern, FIG. 2a, contains an intense diffraction peak owing to ordering at the mesoscale. The wide-angle diffraction intensities arise from the formation of a crystalline metal oxide phase. HRTEM images, FIGS. 2b and c, confirm the porosity of the sample and the formation of disordered pore in the silicate/metal oxide composite.

Provenance & Evidence