abstract
- Carbon xerogels synthesized from polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde, having specific surface areas in the range 650 to 990 m(2) g(-1) and variable degrees of surface oxidation, are used to prepare TiO(2)-carbon xerogel composites by sol-gel methods. These composite materials are used to support Pt nanoparticles (5 wt.%) by the photodeposition technique. After a high temperature reduction treatment at 773 K, the obtained materials were characterized in order to assess the interactions between the phases Pt, TiO(2) and carbon xerogel. It is observed that the carbon xerogel acts as an adhesive agent of the TiO(2) and Pt particles, enhancing the interaction between the metal and the composite support.