Abstract
The first telluride-based quaternary aerogel KFeSbTe3 is synthesized by a sol-gel metathesis reaction between Fe(OAc)(2) and K3SbTe3 in dimethyl formamide. The aerogel has an exceptionally large surface area 652 m(2) g(-1) which is amongst the highest reported for chalcogenide-based aerogels. This predominantly mesoporous material shows preferential adsorption for toluene vapors over cyclohexane or cyclopentane and CO2 over CH4 or H-2. The remarkably high adsorption capacity for toluene (9.31 mmol g(-1)) and high selectivity for gases (CO2/H-2: 121 and CO2/CH4: 75) suggest a potential use of such materials in adsorption-based separation processes for the effective purification of hydrocarbons and gases.