Multifunctional porous catalyst produced by mechanical alloying

ABSTRACT Mechanical alloying has been repeatedly demonstrated as an effective means to create unique structural materials, but it is comparatively rare that functional alloys are produced. Multi-phase functional alloy production is demonstrated with an oxide-dispersed Ni–Cu catalyst. These catalyst particles are designed to form porosity and catalyze carbon nanofiber deposition in situ, which results in a six-fold increase in deposition rate over traditional preparation methods. This technique serves as a template for many other systems possible with MA. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT IMPACT STATEMENT Solid state foaming and catalysis are combined using mechanical alloying. A six-fold increase in catalytic activity is achieved using a simple process that can be applied to other systems