Single step high-temperature coating method to make heterogeneous catalyst using piston reactor

This work presents a new high-temperature synthesis coating method ideal to prepare heterogeneous catalysts. It is suitable for adding an active layer of nanoparticles on top of structured substrates such as foams, monolith, and other structured porous supports. The method is based on using a piston reactor which is simply a repurposed conventional internal combustion engine. Catalysts precursors are introduced as part of the liquid fuel injection and the structured support is placed in the exhaust stream, serving as a trap for the nanoparticles formed in the combustion chamber. In this study, carbon and carbon-Ni nanoparticles are coated on copper metal foam and carbon paper to provide experimental evidence and demonstrate the method feasibility. Highly strong and durable coating is confirmed using ultrasonic cleaning method. XRD and XPS analysis confirms the presence of highly pure NiO nanoparticles on the metal foam and carbon paper. SEM analysis shows the uniformity of coating Ni nanoparticles on the substrate. Oxygen evolution reaction shows promising catalytic performance confirming the suitability of this coating method for electrochemical applications.