Alumina cryogels with superior thermal stability for catalyst supports

Alumina cryogels were synthesized from a colloidal boehmite sol through a sol–gel processing and subsequent freeze drying, and thermal stability was examined by comparison to that of the corresponding xerogel, precipitate and commercial alumina. N2 adsorption, X-ray powder diffraction and transmittance electron micrography observations revealed that the stability was higher for the cryogel than for others in particular at temperatures above 1,000 °C. The higher stability was ascribed to the fine and uniform primary particles with fibrous shapes formed by the sol–gel technique and furthermore to the suppression of aggregation of the primary particles owing to the subsequent freeze drying. It was also found that aluminum sec-butoxide employed as a precursor for the preparation of boehmite sol was preferable compared to aluminum iso-propoxide.