Development of mesopore structure of mixed metal oxide through albumin-templated coprecipitation and reconstruction of layered double hydroxide

Abstract

Mixed metal oxide (MMO) with relatively homogeneous mesopores was successfully obtained by calcination and reconstruction of albumin-templated layered double hydroxide (LDH). The aggregation degree of albumin-template was controlled by adjusting two different synthesis routes, coprecipitation and reconstruction. X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron micro-scopic images indicated that crystal growth of LDH was fairly limited during albumin-templated coprecipitation due to the aggregation. On the hand, crystal growth along the lateral direction was facilitated in albumin-templated reconstruction due to the homogeneous distribution of proteins moiety. Different state of albumin during LDH synthesis influenced the local disorder and porous structure of calcination product, MMO. The N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms demonstrated that calcination on reconstructed LDH produced MMO with large specific surface area and narrow distribution of mesopores compared with calcination of coprecipitated LDH.