Synthesis of a Homogeneously Porous Solid Oxide Matrix with Tunable Porosity and Pore Size

Porous ceramics are a technologically important branch of functional materials for a variety of physical and chemical systems. The properties of porous ceramics depend critically on porosity, pore morphology, pore size, and distribution. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a homogeneously porous samarium-doped cerium (Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9, SDC) matrix with tunable porosity and pore size via sacrificial template method. The study explicitly shows that the porosity and pore size of the resultant porous matrix can be controlled by the volume fraction of sacrificial material NiO and sintering temperature, along with the mono-mode pore distribution produced by molecular-level mixing of co-precipitating SDC and NiO. The demonstrated sacrificial template methodology provides an alternative means of tailoring properties of a porous ceramic for particular applications in catalysis, fuel cells, and gas separation membranes.