Reverse microemulsion mediated sol-gel synthesis of lithium silicate nanoparticles under ambient conditions: scope for CO2 sequestration

We report on the synthesis of nanocrystalline lithium silicate by coupling of sol–gel method in reverse microemulsion. The sample calcined at 800 ºC gives pure phase lithium metasilicate nanocrystallites. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline lithium silicate particles with a narrow size distribution. The nanoparticle prepared in the microemulsion shows enhanced CO2 sorption capacity and shorter retention times at higher temperature (~ 131 ml/g at STP at 610 ºC) which are better than the best known results