BET study of silver-doped silica based on an inexpensive method

The aim of this study is to identify an acid precursor that is most desirable for the synthesis of sodium silicate-based silver-doped silica for large-scale industrial production. The final products were developed based on the presence of silver (silver-doped silica) or the absence of silver (pure silica). The properties of the obtained final products were examined using the BET method. This method involves characterization based on N-2 physisorption studies to determine the surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume. Various graphs were plotted using the obtained data to describe the pore size distribution, isotherms, and the properties of hysteresis loops. Silver-doped silica with a BET surface area of up to 357 m(2)/g and a pore size of 5.4 nm was obtained using the most desirable precursors-sodium silicate and sulfuric acid. This is an unprecedented step toward synthesis of silver-doped silica from desirable precursors. This approach to the synthesis of silica with desirable properties without involving sacrificial templates (surfactants) will be convenient for many applications and suitable for large-scale economic industrial production. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.