Preparation of Carbon Nano-fiber Washcoat on Porous Silica Foam as Structured Catalyst Support1

This paper reports how a hairy layer of carbon nano-fibers can be prepared on the macro-porous silica foam produced by the sphere templating method. Firstly, three-dimensional close-packed crystals of polystyrene spheres are assembled on porous disk substrate by vacuum filtration or evaporation. The polystyrene template is annealed slightly above the glass transition temperature in order to strengthen the colloidal crystal and ensure interconnection of the spheres so as to obtain porous materials with open structure. Following the treatment of hexde-cylfrimethylammonium bromide, the polystyrene template is filled with silica colloidal solution, which solidifies in the cavities. Then the polystyrene particles are removed by calcination at 843K, leaving behind porous silica foam. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrate that silica foam has uniform and open structured pores. Nickel particles were deposited on porous silica foam layer by the dipping method and porous carbon nano-fiber washcoat was prepared by catalytic decomposition of ethene over small nickel particles.