Synthesis Approach and Adsorption Properties of SiOC Nanocomposite by Chitin Templating

Abstract

Using chitin as the templating material, we obtained layered nanocomposites like shrimp or crab shells via a sol-gel self-assembly process. SEM images show a layered structure and XRD patterns present a typical peak of chitin, which indicates the templating role of chitin in the as-received hybrid samples. Additionally, the layer spacing of chitin/silica hybrid materials is reduced with increasing content of silica. After the heat treatment for carbonization, layered SiOC nanocomposites with mesoporous structures were obtained and showed good dye adsorption performance. The present study demonstrates a reliable and self-assembly synthesis technique for the development of advanced high-performance nanocomposites with biomimetic nanostructures.

Keywords

chitin / sol-gel method / self-assembly / biomimetic structure / SiOC nanocomposite

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