Fabrication and Characterization of Fe doped SiO2 Composite Membranes by a Reverse Micelle and Sol-Gel Processing

Fe doped SiO2 nano composites powders were synthesized by a reverse micelle and sol-gel process. The average particle size of the mixed sol was below 25 nm and well dispersed in the solution. TEM results show the microstructure of Fe doped SiO2 composite was homogeneous and Fe was below 5nm and Fe well dispersed in ceramic nano particles. Fe doped SiO2 composite membranes were fabricated by sol-gel process. It was observed that Fe doped SiO2 composite membranes showed a crack-free microstructure and narrow particle size distribution even after heat treatment up to 500 °C. The average particle size of the membrane was 30-40nm, and the pore size of Fe doped SiO2 nano composite membrane was below 10 nm. The particle size of Pt after heat treatment at 500 °C was below 8nm.