Nanosilica synthesized by the Pechini method for potential application as a catalytic support

The purpose of this work was to synthesize and characterize silicon oxide (SiO2) using TEOS as the source of silica to obtain a nano-ceramic material with potential for application as a catalytic support. The material, which was prepared by the Pechini method, was calcined at temperatures of 600, 700, 800 and 900 °C for 1 h. Nanosilica samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size distribution, surface area and pore size (BET/BJH), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that amorphous material was formed at all the calcination temperatures applied, indicating the formation of nanosilica. Increasing the calcination temperature did not alter the amorphous structure of the nanosilica. The microstructures of the samples presented an irregular-shaped plate-like morphology and a wide particle size distribution. The BET analysis revealed large surface areas ranging from 373 m2/g to 525 m2/g and a mesoporous structure, indicating the promising potential of this material for application as a catalytic support.