Preparation and characterization of tungsten carbide confined in the channels of SBA-15 mesoporous silica.

A series of WO3/SBA-15 materials with different Si/W ratios have been prepared by impregnating the host material SBA-15 with aqueous ammonium paratungstate solutions. After temperature-programmed carburization (TPC) in flowing CH4/H2 (20/80 v/v mixture), the materials are converted to the corresponding W2C/SBA-15 species. Both the oxide and carbide materials are characterized using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, 29Si NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and TEM measurements. The XRD results show that after impregnation with different amounts of tungsten and subsequent carburization, the materials retain the mesopore structure of SBA-15. The nitrogen adsorption-desorption results indicate that a thin layer of W2C covers the internal walls of SBA-15. Quantitative 29Si single-pulse excitation MAS experiments and FTIR spectroscopy show that the incorporation of W2C in the channels of SBA-15 is correlated with the formation of Si-O-W bonds. Some Si-O-W bonds are transformed into Si-O-H bonds after carburization. The TEM results show that the thickness of the W2C thin layer is 1.7-1.9 nm in W2C/SBA-15. A model involving a discrete W2C thin layer in the channels of SBA-15 is proposed on the basis of the NMR data. The calculated thickness of the discrete W2C thin layer is consistent with value given by HRTEM.