Synthesis of new RuO2@SiO2 composite nanomaterials and their application as catalytic filters for selective gas detection

RuO2@SiO2 nanomaterials are prepared using hybrid mesostructured silica (EtO)2P(O)(CH2)3SiO1.5/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.