Preparation and Characterization
of High-Performance
Perfluorosulfonic Acid/SiO<sub>2</sub> Nanofibers with Catalytic Property
via Electrospinning
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Abstract
Polymer nanofiber-supported perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA)/SiO<sub>2</sub> catalysts are successfully fabricated by electrospinning
method from polymer/nanoparticle suspensions. This kind of catalyst
has a large number of active acid sites and high specific surface
area up to 85.6 m<sup>2</sup>/g. Scanning electron microscope images
reveal that the catalysts present high porosity and inner-connected
porous structure which varies much with SiO<sub>2</sub> loading. Nitrogen
adsorption–desorption measurements demonstrate a wide distribution
of pore sizes inside the composites. Catalysts of different compositions
are evaluated in esterification in a batch reactor under various conditions,
and the results indicate that those of 20 wt % PFSA loading have the
best activity of unit PFSA. Supporting PFSA by a nanofibrous matrix
enhances liquid holdups inside the catalysts and offers accessibility
of the acid sites, and therefore improves the activity of the catalysts.
Moreover, these catalysts allow recovery at high percentages and regeneration
with high activity