Fibrous activated alumina prepared through phase transformation using dawsonite as a template

Fibrous activated alumina is widely applied in catalysts,adsorbents,and composite materials.This work presents a green approach in preparing the fibrous activated Al_(2)O_(3) with high purity and specific surface area through multistep phase transformation of aluminum-bearing substances using intermediate dawsonite as a template.Thermodynamic calculations and experimental results show that increasing the concentration of Na_(2)CO_(3) and(NH_(4))_(2)CO_(3) is remarkably beneficial to the formation of dawsonite and ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide,respectively.Based on determination of dissolution and precipitation mechanism,the ultrafine granular gibbsite is converted to the uniform fibrous dawsonite with a ratio of length to diameter over 50,and the fibrous dawsonite changes into the long fibrous ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide with a ratio of length to diameter is about 80 in above 70 g/L(NH_(4))_(2)CO_(3) solution.Furthermore,the activated alumina remains fibrous morphology after roasting ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide at a slow heating rate,plentiful open mesopore and weak aggregation of particles,which contributes to the high specific surface area of 159.37 m^(2)/g at 1273 K for the activated alumina.The complete transformation of dawsonite to ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide and high specific surface area contribute to the purity of the activated fibrous alumina above 99.9%with low Na and Fe content.

Preparation of copper nano-wires by template synthesis method

Highly ordered and porous anodic aluminum oxide templates were prepared. The ordered copper nanowires arrays were assembled in nano-holes of the template by alternating current electrodeposition at lover voltage. The morphologies of template and copper nano-wires arrays were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and the crystal structure of copper nano-wires was determined by means of X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that copper nano-wires hold the preferred crystalline orientation along (111), (200), (220) and (331) crystal faces during growth, and the growth of copper nano-wires in the nano-holes of the template is homogenous and continuous.