Direct vat-photopolymerisation 3D printing of hierarchically porous SiC loaded with Co/Ni based catalysts by using Pickering emulsions

• Main Authors: Ho, Terence Yan King, Pung, Kah Sheng, Lock, Daniel Wen Hao, Du, Zehui, Gan, Chee Lip
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Vat photopolymerisation; 3D printing; Silicon carbide SiC; Hierarchically porous; Pickering emulsions; Catalyst support
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177456
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Hierarchically porous SiC is an important catalyst support widely used in various gas and liquid catalytic processes. Conventional approaches to fabricate such SiC have limited design flexibility and separated catalyst-loading step is necessitated. Herein, a one-step, direct vat-photopolymerization 3D printing of hierarchically porous SiC loaded with Co/Ni based catalyst was demonstrated with Pickering emulsion as feedstock for the first time. Compared with normal ceramic slurries, Pickering emulsion dramatically increases the cure depth (by 50%) and emulsion stability，which allow continuous printing of complex SiC structures with uniform pore morphology. The resultant hierarchical porous SiC offered ~40% better mechanical strength as compared with non-hierarchical counterpart. By dissolving metal salts into aqueous phase in Pickering emulsions, complex architected structures with Co or Ni/Co in-situ loaded in SiC matrix were printed. The precursors were then further thermally converted into oxides or silicates as catalysts anchored on SiC, exhibiting excellent catalytic activity and reusability. The emulsion templating strategy holds great facility to load various highly attractive materials such as high entropy oxides or functional fillers whilst reaping the benefits of vat photopolymerisation for a myriad of applications in catalysis, batteries, and structural supports.