Engineering high-temperature stable nanocomposite materials

The low thermal stability of nanoparticles typically restricts their use in catalytic and other applications to low- to moderate-temperature conditions. We present a novel approach to the stabilization of nanosized noble metal particles by embedding them in a high-temperature stabilized hexa-aluminate matrix. The simple 'one-pot' approach is based on a microemulsion-templated sol-gel synthesis and yields mesoporous nanocomposite materials with pure textural porosity and excellent high-temperature stability up to about 1200 °C. To our knowledge, this is the first time that metal nanoparticles have been stabilized to such high temperatures. We furthermore find that the microemulsion templating allows a tailoring of the ceramic matrix without influencing the size of the embedded Pt particle. This opens up the possibility of a true multiscale engineering of nanocomposite materials. We see these novel materials therefore not only as very promising candidates for a broad range of high-temperature catalytic applications, but generally view this versatile synthesis route as a first step towards expanding the parameter range for nanoparticle applications.