USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Jean M Wallace

Debra R Rolison

Rhonda Michele Stroud

Jeremy J Pietron

Jane K Rice

Gregory William Peterson

Jeffrey W Long

High-surface-area, ultraporous manganese oxide (MnOx) xerogels and aerogels exhibit outstanding filtration performance for multiple, chemically distinct toxic gases, including ammonia, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These MnOx materials use multiple mechanisms for small molecule capture/catalysis including molecular sieving and oxidative decomposition, and function in a wide range of humidity conditions.

Manganese oxide nanoarchitectures for broad-spectrum removal of toxic gases in air-filtration applications

This disclosure describes the first viable non-enzyme protein encapsulated within an aerogel. In this, a large excess of cyt c is added to a commercial buffered Au sol solution ( ) which results in the formation of a gold&#x2dc;protein-protein superstructure in the absence of separation techniques which destroy the superstructure. The gold&#x2dc;protein-protein superstructure is then nanoglued into a silica framework during the sol to gel transition. To form the gel, the Au&#x2dc;cyt. c superstructure in buffered medium is added to a silica sol and the composite gels are washed with acetone followed by liquid carbon dioxide and then supercritically dried to form the aerogel. The biocomposite aerogels have a multiplicity of applications particularly in the realm of sensing and energy transformation.

Silica mesoporous aerogels having three-dimensional nanoarchitecture with colloidal gold-protein superstructures nanoglued therein

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Alexandria, VA, United States of America

Jean M Wallace