Nanoparticles assembly of boehmite nanofibers without a surfactant

Self-assembly of aluminum hydrate particles into larger boehmite (γ-AlOOH) nanofibers was illustrated by a facile hydrothermal method without using any surfactants. The size and morphology of boehmite nanofibers could be controlled by adjusting the pH value of the reaction mixture. The resulting products were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectra), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). The specific surface area and pore-size distribution of the obtained product as determined by gas-sorption measurements show that the boehmite nanofibers possess high-surface area and porosity properties. A possible formation mechanism of nanofibers via a nanoparticle assembly procedure is proposed based on the experiments under the different conditions.