ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation of Aluminium Oxide Aerogels

M. Chovancová, L. Števula, P Hudec, M. Zemanová, and M. Komenda

Department of Inorganic Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak University of Technology, SK-812 31 Bratislava

Abstract:  Aluminium oxide aerogels have been prepared by the sol-gel method by evacuation of the solvent (sec-butyl alcohol) in an autoclave undeT hypercritical conditions (i.e. above the critical temperature of the solvent 6C (sec-butanol) = 263°C). The starting material, aluminium sec-butoxide, has been dissolved in sec-butanol and hydrolyzed with stoichiometric amount of water. The alcogel was evacuated in an autoclave in the temperature range from 260 to 270 °C during 30—100 min. The surface area of the prepared aerogels, measured by adsorption of N_2, was extremely large, ranging from 615 to 785 m² g^-1 This one-step process reduces the time required for the aerogel preparation, works without additional washing and filtering of gels, and the prepared aerogels are more uniform and pure.

Chemical Papers 51 (6A) 328–331 (1997)