SiO2/TiO2/graphite prepared by sol-gel method: a new electrically conducting carbon ceramic material

Author(s)

Camila Marchetti Maroneze

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Química
• Defense date: 2008-06-16

Examining board members

Yoshitaka Gushikem; Aldo José Gorgatti Zarbin; Alzira Maria Serpa Lucho; Italo Odone Mazali; Fernando Aparecido Sígoli

• Advisor: Yoshitaka Gushikem

Abstract

This work reports the preparation, characterization and application of a new electrically conducting carbon ceramic material, SiO2/TiO2/Grafite. The sol-gel methodology was used as synthesis procedure and allowed the incorporation of carbon graphite all over the porous structure of the mixed oxide SiO2/TiO2. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) images coupled to energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed materials with high degree of homogeneity related to the distribution and dispersion of the components in the matrix, with no evidence of phase segregation or formation of pure oxide domains. The matrices presented high thermal stability, in which we do not observed the TiO2 crystallization bellow the temperature of 1000 °C. The binding energy values for Ti 2p level obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed possible insertion of Ti atoms in tetragonal sites of silica as well as the existence of Si-O-Ti linkages at the interface between the oxides. Such linkages are pointed as the responsible by the stabilization and low mobility of Ti in the ceramic matrix. Dark field high resolution transmission electronic microscopy images allowed us to observe that the graphite crystallites are well dispersed through the particles, with no preferential location. Two chemical reactions were carried out between the Ti-OH groups found on the surface and acidic species H3PO4 and SbCl5, resulting in materials like SiO2/TiO2/Fosfato/Graphite and SiO2/TiO2/Sb2O5/Graphite. These materials were utilized as conducting supports in the construction of carbon ceramic electrodes that were chemically modified by the adsorption of the cationic dye meldola blue. The modified electrodes presented good performance and catalytic activity toward b-NADH oxidation, decreasing drastically the oxidation potential when compared to conventional electrodes. The SiO2/TiO2/Graphite material has shown to be a promising alternative in the development of electrochemical sensors, acting as a robust and versatile conducting substrate for the construction of new carbon ceramic electrodes (AU)