Synthesis of silica–titania composite aerogel beads for the removal of Rhodamine B in water

Abstract

Silica-titania (SiO 2 -TiO 2 ) aerogel beads are synthesized by a single-step sol-gel reaction, followed by supercritical drying. The SiO 2 -TiO 2 aerogel beads consist of nanoparticles, which interconnect to form mesoporous networks. The TiO 2 nanoparticles distributed in the mesoporous networks have anatase phase. The SiO 2 -TiO 2 aerogel beads with large adsorption capacities and high photocatalytic activities can efficiently remove Rhodamine B (RhB) from water. They can be easily recovered from the reaction solution and retain excellent removal capabilities even after several successive adsorption-photodegradation cycles.

Structure and thermal properties of millimeter-scale alumina aerogel beads formed by a modified ball dropping method

“…Sarawade et al 13 developed a ball-dropping method for the synthesis of millimeter-sized silica aerogel beads. Previously, we prepared millimeter-sized silica-titania 14 aerogel beads by the facile ball-dropping method, followed by supercritical drying. However, millimeter-sized alumina aerogel beads cannot be directly formed from with the ball dropping method.…”

Polysaccharide-Based Aerogel Production for Biomedical Applications: A Comparative Review

“…Silicon alkoxide precursor is reactive enough to form gel networks with other metal oxides [ 36 ]; therefore, several studies were carried out to synthesize silica aerogel composites; for example, silica–titania (TiO 2 ), silica–carbon and silica–alumina [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. These inorganic aerogels are generally prepared using a two-step sol–gel process, starting from an organic solvent, frequently ethanol.…”

Mechanical and thermal conductive properties of fiber‐reinforced silica‐alumina aerogels

“…Aerogels are an ultralight material with high porosity . Al 2 O 3 aerogels with low thermal conductivity and excellent catalytic activity are particularly interested as thermal insulators and catalysts .…”

“…Aerogels are an ultralight material with high porosity. [1][2][3][4][5] Al 2 O 3 aerogels with low thermal conductivity and excellent catalytic activity are particularly interested as thermal insulators and catalysts. 6,7 However, they undergo phase transformations when temperature is higher than 1000°C, causing the significant distortion of their porous structures.…”