[Paper] ACS Omega

A. F. Arif, S. Taniguchi, T. Izawa, K. Kamikubo, H. Iwasaki, H. T. Ogi*: Microwave-assisted synthesis of C/SiO2 composite with controllable silica nanoparticle size, ACS Omega, just accepted.

Carbon/silica (C/SiO2) composite was produced from 3-aminophenol and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) through a synthesis protocol involving microwave irradiation. This synthesis protocol featured simultaneous 3-aminophenol polymerization and TEOS hydrolysis and condensation which were performed rapidly in a microwave reactor. The SiO2 constituent was formed from low-concentrated TEOS confined in a micelle of cetyl trimethylammoniumbromide. The size of SiO2 was controlled by varying the 3-aminophenol concentration. The carbon constituent served as the host for pyridinic-dominated nitrogen functional groups derived from the amine of 3-aminophenol, as well as for the microporous structure. Detailed composite formation mechanism was elucidated from time-serial scanning electron microscopy images and dynamic light scattering analysis. Understanding the composite formation mechanism using this protocol enables future’s improvement in the composite morphology to be well-suited with the desired application.