title: Synthesis of a conducting SiO2-carbon composite from commercial silicone grease and its conversion to paramagnetic SiO2 particles.
abstract: The thermal decomposition of commercial silicone grease was carried out in a closed reactor (Swagelok) that was heated at 800 degrees C for 3 h, yielding a SiO2-carbon composite with a BET surface area of 369 m2/g. The bulk conductivity (5.72 x 10(-6) S x cm(-2)) of the SiO2-carbon composite was determined by impedance measurements. The as-prepared SiO2-carbon composite was further annealed at 500 degrees C in air for 2 h, which led to the formation of white paramagnetic silica particles (confirmed by ESR), possessing a surface area of 111 m2/g. The present synthetic technique requires unsophisticated equipment and a low-cost commercial precursor, and the reaction is carried out without a solvent, surfactant, or catalyst. The mechanism for the formation of a porous SiO2-carbon composite from the silicone grease is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Kanbar Laboratory for Nanomaterials at the Bar-Ilan University Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Pol
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Pol
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Markovsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gedanken