Polymer-induced self-assembly strategy toward 3D printable porous MoO₃/Al₂O₃ catalyst for efficient oxidative...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Porous metal oxides offer high surface areas and internal channels, making them valuable for heterogeneous catalysis.
• Developing efficient and scalable methods for preparing these materials is crucial for industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a solvent-free polymer-induced self-assembly strategy for creating porous metal oxides.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of a 5% MoO3/Al2O3 catalyst for oxidative desulfurization.
• To explore the fabrication of monolithic catalysts using 3D printing technology.

Main Methods:

• A high-energy ball milling process utilizing the interaction between polymers and inorganic precursors.
• Preparation of a 5% MoO3/Al2O3 catalyst with a stratified pore structure.
• Formulation of a 3D printing ink with porous metal oxides and montmorillonite.
• Direct ink writing 3D printing for monolithic catalyst fabrication.

Main Results:

• The synthesized porous metal oxides exhibit a stratified pore structure and high surface area.
• The 5% MoO3/Al2O3 catalyst demonstrates high efficiency in oxidative desulfurization of aromatic sulfides, including 4,6-DMDBT.
• A monolithic catalyst was successfully fabricated using 3D printing, showcasing excellent viscoelasticity of the ink.

Conclusions:

• The solvent-free polymer-induced self-assembly strategy is effective for preparing high-performance porous metal oxide catalysts.
• The developed catalyst shows significant potential for deep oxidative desulfurization applications.
• 3D printing offers a viable route for fabricating structured catalysts from these advanced materials.