Synthesis and characterization of a nanocrystalline thoria aerogel

We report the synthesis and characterization for the first example of a low-density nanocrystalline thoria aerogel. The monolithic aerogels were prepared through the solgel polymerization of hydrated thorium nitrate in ethanol using ammonium hydroxide and propylene oxide as gelation initiators. The dried ThO{sub 2} aerogel was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses. The aerogel network was determined to be composed of spherical primary particles with features in the 5-20 nm range. These particles were also determined to be highly crystalline as evidenced by the higher magnification TEM examination. The thoria aerogel possesses high surface area (120 m{sup 2}/g) and pore diameters in the micro- and mesoporous range.