One-step synthesis of iron impregnated carbon spheres and their potential for use in air quality applications

Micron-scale carbon supports impregnated with iron and iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared in a single step using a spray pyrolysis technique. The production mechanism was complex, i.e., sucrose dehydration was catalyzed by ionic iron species, pore development occurred via in-situ solid salt templates and/or in-situ carbon gasification, and reaction temperatures dictated the physical form of the catalyst nanoparticles. The produced carbon-based materials were capable of being impregnated with high (> 30 wt %) metal loadings, were highly magnetic, and were partially accessible to gas species. This simple production technique could potentially be used to synthesis various nano-structured environmental catalysts with suitable physical and chemical properties to be used for air quality applications. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 103rd AWMA Annual Conference and Exhibition (Calgary, Alberta, Canada 6/22-25/2010).