Affiliations: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland | Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
Note: [] Corresponding author: Wanda Ziemkowska, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland. Tel.: +48 22 2347316; E-mail: ziemk@ch.pw.edu.pl
Abstract: Morphologically controlled production of nanomaterials is very important in material chemistry because of the strong influence of materials' structure on their characteristics. In this paper, alumina with various morphologies were synthesized using Me3Al and Et3Al as starting materials. Aluminum trialkyls were transformed into precursors upon exposure to air with relative humidity of 0–90% and then thermally decomposed yielding white alumina powders. Depending on the starting R3Al and conditions of precursor synthesis, aluminum oxide was obtained in the form of separated or agglomerated spherical nanoparticles, porous sponge-like material, worms- and wool balls-like particles. Structural data such as specific surface area, average particle size and average pore size of alumina obtained from Me3Al were significantly different than those of alumina synthesized from Et3Al. This simple method allows for the production of aluminum oxide without any traces of other metals, which is important for application in electronics. The reaction course of R3Al with dioxygen and air moisture and composition of alumina precursors have been discussed.
Keywords: Aluminum, aluminum oxide, alumina, nanoparticles, SEM
