cm 3 min which corresponds to a linear velocity of greater than 15 6 cm min use of this higher airflow is important to produce a high surface area material the material was heated at a rate of 5 u00b0 c min to 120 u00b0 c and was exposed to this temperature for 4 hours it was subsequently heated at a rate of 5 u00b0 c min to approximately 450 u00b0 c as measured by a thermocouple placed approximately 0 5 cm over the catalyst bed and was held at this temperature for 16 hours after cooling to room temperature 2 5 g of aluminum tri sec butoxide aldrich 20 107 3 was dissolved in 5 ml of isopropyl alcohol em science and allowed to contact about 5 g of the material produced above on a fritted funnel an additional 10 ml of isopropyl alcohol was added to this mixture which formed a gel the excess alkoxide and alcohol were filtered off the material the material was washed with an additional 50 ml of isopropyl alcohol the material was loaded into an alumina boat and heated in a tube furnace the internal diameter of the tube furnace was 10 cm the airflow rate was greater than 1220 cm 3 min which corresponds to a linear velocity of greater than 15 6 cm min use of this higher airflow is important to produce a high surface area material the material was heated at a rate of 2 5 u00b0 c min to 120 u00b0 c and was exposed to this temperature for 1 hour it was subsequently heated at a rate of 5 0 u00b0 c min to approximately 450 u00b0 c as measured by a thermocouple placed approximately 0 5 cm over the catalyst.