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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices
Published on: March 27, 2019
Synthesis of a conducting SiO2-carbon composite from commercial silicone grease and its conversion to paramagnetic
1Department of Chemistry and Kanbar Laboratory for Nanomaterials at the Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel.
Abstract:
The thermal decomposition of commercial silicone grease was carried out in a closed reactor (Swagelok) that was heated at 800 degrees C for 3 h, yielding a SiO2-carbon composite with a BET surface area of 369 m2/g. The bulk conductivity (5.72 x 10(-6) S x cm(-2)) of the SiO2-carbon composite was determined by impedance measurements. The as-prepared SiO2-carbon composite was further annealed at 500 degrees C in air for 2 h, which led to the formation of white paramagnetic silica particles (confirmed by ESR), possessing a surface area of 111 m2/g. The present synthetic technique requires unsophisticated equipment and a low-cost commercial precursor, and the reaction is carried out without a solvent, surfactant, or catalyst. The mechanism for the formation of a porous SiO2-carbon composite from the silicone grease is also presented.
