Cobalt Functionalization of Mesoporous Silica by Incipient Wetness Impregnation and Co‐precipitation

Abstract

MCM‐41 and MCM‐48 were functionalized with cobalt by two methods, incipient wetness impregnation and co‐precipitation, and were characterized by XRD, N₂‐sorption, and TPR. The incipient wetness impregnation method provides a high dispersion of small cobalt oxide particles, while the mesoporous structure and high surface areas are maintained. There seems to be a higher dispersion of cobalt oxide on the three‐dimensional MCM‐48 than on the one‐dimensional MCM‐41. The co‐precipitation method did not precipitate easily reducible cobalt oxide in any sizable amounts; instead, the cobalt was mainly bound as cobalt silicate.

Keywords:

• cobalt functionalization
• mesoporous supports
• incipient wetness impregnation
• co‐precipitation
• heterogeneous catalysis

Acknowledgment

The Norwegian Research Council is acknowledged for financial support.