The electrospun mesoporous Al2O3 and mesoporous Au–Al2O3 nanofiber catalyst

The one-dimensional mesoporous alumina nanofibers were prepared in larger scale by an improved electrospinning method and a subsequent calcination treatment. The existence of abundant interconnected mesopores on the obtained alumina nanofibers was observed and proved by the FE-SEM and TEM characterization. The formation of mesopores was attributed to the solvent evaporation induced surfactant assembly (SEISA) occurred during the process of electrospinning. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis showed the mesoporous alumina nanofibers possessed large specific surface area up to 264 m2/g and the average pore size of 6.1 nm with a narrow distribution. After a treatment with HAuCl4·3H2O, it turned to a mesoporous Au/Al2O3 nanofiber material. This material was used as a heterogeneous catalyst in a model reaction to catalyze the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The catalyst test exhibited a high catalytic activity, and the turn over frequency value of this model reaction was calculated up to 879.