Preparation of multi metal-carbon nanoreactors for adsorption and catalysis

Abstract

Metal-incorporated composite carbon materials have engendered great progress in the fields of catalysis, energy storage and material science because of their size and chemical and physical properties. In this study, a modern technique was applied for the development of multi metal-carbon nanoreactors (MCNRs) from a pristine carbon cage (CC) using template method with nano silica ball (NSB), pyrolysis fuel oil (PFO) and metal nanocrystals such as gold, copper, nickel, potassium and manganese. The newly prepared Au, Cu, Ni, K and Mn deposited carbon nanoreactors were fully characterized by various analytical techniques. Due to their easy fabrication protocols and broad potential applications, the MCNRs were used successfully for the chemisorptions of hydrogen and ethylene gases alongside the solvent-free heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of a secondary alcohol. The MCNRs have exhibited dynamic adsorption performance and excellent catalytic activity. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.