Title: Synthesis and characterisation of supported Re nanoparticles for the synthesis of biofuels

Authors: Qinisani Gazu; Mzamo L. Shozi

Addresses: School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa ' School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa

Abstract: Supported rhenium nanoparticles have been synthesised via wet impregnation and sol immobilisation. Deionised water was used as the solvent for both methods and the supports used were zirconia (ZrO2) and sulphated-zirconia (SO4-ZrO2). Characterisation involved BET surface area measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD showed that samples were crystalline while BET showed that nanoparticles synthesised via sol immobilisation had a higher surface area while those synthesised via impregnation had a higher pore volume and diameter. Adsorption-desorption isotherms revealed that the particles were mesoporous (2-50 nm), which is in agreement with the data obtained from TEM.

Keywords: impregnation; sol-immobilisation; rhenium; zirconia; glycerol; hydrogenolysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2018.098448

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2018 Vol.15 No.8/9/10, pp.779 - 783

Published online: 22 Mar 2019 *

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