Synthesis of New RuO₂@SiO₂ Composite Nanomaterials and their Application as Catalytic Filters for Selective Gas Detection

Abstract RuO₂@SiO₂ nanomaterials are prepared using hybrid mesostructured silica (EtO)₂P(O)(CH₂)₃SiO_1.5/x SiO₂ (x = 9, 16) by anchoring the metal precursor [Ru(COD)(COT)] (COD is 1,3‐cyclooctadiene, COT is 1,3,5‐cyclooctatriene) inside the pores of the organized silica matrix through the phosphonate moieties. Following this task, the nanoparticles are fabricated by i) decomposing the metal precursor with hydrogen at room temperature in tetrahydrofuran to achieve ruthenium nanoparticles and ii) thermally treating the ruthenium particles in silica at 450 °C in air to fabricate RuO₂. The materials containing Ru and RuO₂ nanoparticles are characterized by elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption measurements, and ³¹P and ¹³C NMR. The obtained RuO₂@SiO₂ nanomaterials are evaluated as catalytic filters when deposited onto gas sensors for the preferential detection of propane in the multicomponent gas mixture propane/carbon monoxide/nitrogen dioxide.