title: Role of urea in the preparation of highly porous nanocomposite aerogels.
abstract: The preparation of highly porous CoFe2O4-SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels was successfully achieved by a novel sol-gel procedure involving urea-assisted co-gelation of the precursor phases. This method allows fast gelation, giving rise to an aerogel with 97% porosity. The formation of CoFe2O4 nanocrystals homogeneously distributed within the matrix occurs after calcination at 750 degrees C and is complete at 900 degrees C. Despite the high temperature required for the formation of the CoFe2O4 nanocrystals, the high porosity typical of aerogels is still retained.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche and INSTM, Università di Cagliari, S.P. Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy. casulaf@unica.it
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Casula
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loche
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marras
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paschina
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrias