Sol–gel synthesis of macroporous TiO2 from ionic precursors via phase separation route

Monolithic macroporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) derived from ionic precursors has been successfully prepared via the sol–gel route accompanied by phase separation in the presence of formamide (FA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The addition of FA promotes the gelation, whereas PVP enhances the polymerization-induced phase separation. Appropriate choice of the starting compositions allows the production of cocontinuous macroporous TiO₂ monoliths in large dimensions, and controls the size of macropores. The resultant dried gel is amorphous, whereas anatase and rutile phases are precipitated at 500 and 900 °C respectively, without spoiling the macroporous morphology. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements revealed that the dried gels exhibits mesostructure with a median pore size of about 3 nm and BET surface area of 228 m²/g, whereas 15 nm and 73 m²/g for the gels calcined at 600 °C.     

Application of synthesized mesoporous titania microspheres for arsenic [(III) and (V)] uptake studies

The present work describes the application of radiotracer technique for studying uptake of arsenic on titanium hydroxide, commercial titanium dioxide (TiO₂) powder (anatase) and synthesized mesoporous titania beads in acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions. Sol–gel templating method was used to prepare titania–polysaccharide composites, with different polymer contents. Mesoporous titania was obtained by heat treatment of the composite beads in a controlled environment. The synthesis process was optimized, using thermogravimetry analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of anatase pure phase titania (TiO₂) at 700 °C in different environments, and scanning electron microscopy studies confirmed uniform pore size distribution. The effect of surface area, polymer content and pH on uptake of arsenic(III) and (V) on the synthesized titania beads was also investigated. Arsenic(V) was found to be retained quantitatively on the titania beads synthesized from 0.8% polymer content titania–polymer composite precursor in neutral to alkaline conditions. Details of the results obtained are discussed.     

Effect of silicon dioxide on the formation of the phase composition and pore structure of titanium dioxide with the anatase structure

The formation of the structure of titanium dioxide modified with silicon dioxide, which was introduced as tetraethyl orthosilicate, was studied. It was found that the formation of the nanocrystalline structure of TiO₂ occurred upon the modification of titanium dioxide with silicon dioxide. This nanocrystalline structure of TiO₂ was formed by highly dispersed anatase particles of size 6–10 nm stabilized by silicon oxide layers, which were formed upon the decomposition of tetraethyl orthosilicate. An increase in the modifier concentration resulted in a deceleration of the growth of anatase particles and an increase in the temperature of the phase transition of anatase to rutile. It was found that the anatase phase in the samples containing 5–15 wt % SiO₂ was stable up to 1000°C. The stabilization of highly dispersed anatase particles facilitated the retention of the developed fine-pore structure of xerogels with a pore diameter of 4 nm up to 900°C.     

Nanostructured polymer–titanium composites and titanium oxide through polymer swelling in titania precursor

Polymer (XAD7HP)/Ti⁴⁺ nanocomposites were prepared through the swelling of polymer in titanium (IV) ethoxide as a titanium dioxide precursor. The nanocomposite beads exhibit relatively high porosity different than the porosity of the initial polymer. Thermal treatment of composite particles up to 200 °C in vacuum causes the change of their internal structure. At higher temperature, the components of composite become more tightly packed. Calcination at 600 °C and total removal of polymer produce spherically shaped TiO₂ condensed phase as determined by XRD. Thermally treated composites show the substantial change of pore dimensions within micro- and mesopores. The presence of micropores and their transformation during thermal processing was studied successfully by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The results derived from PALS experiment were compared with those obtaining from low-temperature nitrogen adsorption data.     

The effects of preparation temperature on microstructure and electrochemical performance of calcium carbide-derived carbon

Calcium carbide-derived carbons (CCDCs) produced by chlorination of CaC₂ at various temperatures (400–800 °C) possess highly controllable microstructure and porosity, allowing them to serve as excellent electrode materials for the application of supercapacitor. This paper focused on the effect of pore size and specific surface area (SSA) of CCDC on its electrochemical behavior. Microstructure and micropore characteristics of CCDC were characterized by N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that SSA and average pore size increased with the increase of synthesis temperature from 400 °C to 600 °C, and then decreased when temperature reached to 800 °C. Meanwhile, a correlation between specific capacitance and SSA of micropores (less than 2 nm in diameter) has been studied. It has been found that the supercapacitor using the CCDC prepared at 600 °C as electrode material in 6 M KOH showed the maximum specific capacitance and energy density (53.61 F g^?1 and 7.08 W h kg^?1), outstanding rate capability, lower IR drop and 96 % retention of initial capacity over 5,000 cycles.     

Direct fabrication of anatase TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> hollow microspheres for applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and lithium storage

Hollow titanium dioxide (TiO₂) microspheres were synthesized in one step by employing tetrabutyl orthotitanate (TBOT) as a precursor through a facile solvothermal method in the presence of NH₄HCO₃. XRD analysis indicated that anatase TiO₂ can be obtained directly without further annealing. TiO₂ hollow microspheres with diameters in the range of 1.0–4.0 μm were confirmed through SEM and TEM measurements. The specific surface area was measured to be 180 m² g^?1 according to the nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. Superior photocatalytic performance and good lithium storage properties were achieved for resultant TiO₂ samples. The H₂ evolution rate of the optimal sample is about 0.66 mmol h^?1 after loaded with 1 wt.% Pt (20 mg samples). The reversible capacity remained 143 mAh g^?1 at a specific current of 300 mA g^?1 after 100 charge–discharge cycles. This work provides a facile strategy for the preparation of hollow titanium dioxide microspheres and demonstrates their promising photocatalytic H₂ evolution and the lithium storage properties.

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Graphical abstract Hollow titanium dioxide spheres are directly synthesized via a facile template-free solvothermal method with the presence of NH₄HCO₃ based on inside-out Ostwald ripening (see picture), and demonstrated both as a photocatalyst for water splitting and a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Superior photocatalytic performance and excellent lithium storage properties are achieved for resultant TiO₂ hollow microspheres.

     

Preparation of porous TiO2/silica composites without any surfactants

TiO₂-SiO₂ composites, with high specific surface area (up to 308 m²/g), large pore volume, and narrow distribution with average pore sizes of 3.2 nm, have been synthesized from wollastonite and titanium sulfate in the absence of any surfactants. Calcium sulfate, a microsolubility salt, plays an important role in the formation of pores in this porous TiO₂/silica composite. The microstructure and chemical composition of composite were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and N₂ adsorption and desorption analysis. The as-prepared porous titanium dioxide-silicon dioxide composites with high specific surface area and well-crystallized anatase contents were used as an efficient photocatalyst.     

High surface area sol–gel alumina–titania nanocatalyst

Alumina–titania mixed oxide nanocatalysts with molar ratios = 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:2, 1:5 have been synthesized by adopting a hybrid sol–gel route using boehmite sol as the precursor for alumina and titanium isopropoxide as the precursor for titania. The thermal properties, XRD phase analysis, specific surface area, adsorption isotherms and pore size details along with temperature programmed desorption of ammonia are presented. A specific surface area as high as 291 m²/g is observed for 1:5 Al₂O₃/TiO₂ composition calcined at 400 °C, but the same composition when calcined at 1,000 °C, resulted in a surface area of 4 m²/g, while 1:0.5 composition shows a specific surface area of 41 m²/g at 1,000 °C. Temperature programmed desorption (of ammonia) results show more acidic nature for the titania rich mixed oxide compositions. Transmission electron microscopy of low and high titania content samples calcined at 400 °C, shows homogeneous distribution of phases in the nano range. In the mixed oxide, the particle size ranges between 10–20 nm depending on titania content. The detailed porosity data analysis contributes very much in designing alumina–titania mixed oxide nanocatalysts.     

Photocatalytic effect of nano-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> loaded cement on dye decolorization and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> inactivation under UV irradiation

In the present study, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nano-particles were synthesized by sol–gel technique and then used to provide nano-TiO₂ loaded cement samples at 1, 5, and 10 wt% for investigation of Malachite green pigment decomposition and Escherichia coli inactivation under UV irradiation. Surveys conducted on the synthesized TiO₂ nano-particles showed a 100 % anatase phase with a mean particle size of 66.5 nm, surface area of 64.352 m² g^?1, and a porosity volume of 0.1278 cm³ g^?1. Cement samples containing this catalyst exhibited stronger photocatalytic properties as compared to the same amount of pure catalyst. Considering both photocatalytic performance and cost of catalyst, 5 wt% titanium dioxide was suggested to be added to cement. By addition of 1 wt% polycarboxylic copolymer as super-plasticizer to the cement paste, the photocatalytic sample activities were reinforced so that a similar performance could be obtained at 1 wt% catalyst as compared to 5 wt% catalyst without super-plasticizer.     

Sol–gel synthesized vanadium doped TiO2 photocatalyst: physicochemical properties and visible light photocatalytic studies

Vanadium doped titanium dioxide (V–TiO₂) photocatalyst was synthesized by the sol–gel method using ammonium vanadate as vanadium source. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, N₂ adsorption–desorption method, UV–Vis DRS, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X-ray and photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The results show that V⁵⁺ ions were successfully incorporated into the crystal lattice of TiO₂ as a consequence, not only an obvious decrease in the band gap and a red shift of the absorption threshold into the visible light region was recorded for the V modified TiO₂, but, also a decrease in photogenerated electrons and holes recombination rate was observed as demonstrated by PL analysis. FTIR study indicated that in undoped TiO₂ sample the acetate group favored a bidentate bridging mode of binding with titanium atoms, whereas a bidentate chelating mode of linkage was observed in V–TiO₂ powders. The crystallite size of the samples calcined at 300 and 500 °C were decreased beyond the molar ratio of 200:1 (V:Ti), this may be due to dopant presence in the grain boundaries hindering the crystal growth. The photocatalytic activities for both pure and vanadium doped TiO₂ powders were tested in the discoloration of a reactive dyestuff, methylene blue, under visible light. The 100:1 (V:Ti) doped photocatalyst, calcined at 300 °C showed enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light with a rate constant (k_obs) of 5.024 × 10^?3 min^?1 which is nearly five times higher than that of pure TiO₂, as result of low band gap value, high specific surface area and a decrease in recombination rate.     

Catalytic Disproportionation of Methyltrichlorosilane by AL-MCM-41 to Prepare Dichlorodimethylsilane

Abstract

Al-MCM-41 samples with various Si/Al ratios were prepared and then used to disproportionate methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) to produce dichlorodimethylsilane (DMCS). The catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (²⁷Al MAS NMR), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and N₂ absorption–desorption. It reveals that all samples show the hexagonal structure of MCM-41 and exhibit large BET surface areas (over 842 m²·g^?1). FT-IR spectra of pyridine adsorption demonstrates that Al-MCM-41 samples have Lewis (L) and Brønsted (B) acidic sites, and the B acidic sites are stable in the temperature ranging from 423 to 623 K. The effects of aluminum content and temperature on the disproportionation reaction were also investigated. The results show that the Al-MCM-41 with the Si/Al ratio of 15:1 exhibits an excellent activity with 100% conversion of MTS and 47% selectivity of DMCS at 623 K under atmospheric pressure.     

Effect of Ag Loading on the Microstructure of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Electrospun Nanofibers

In this research work, crystalline structure, phase transformation, morphology and mean size of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) electrospun nanofibers have been tailored by loading with 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 wt.% of silver (Ag) which was followed by calcination. The as prepared non woven mats of nanofibers were calcinated at 500 °C to allow the reaction moieties to leave the TiO₂ matrix and subsequently formation of Ag clusters. The effect of Ag loading and calcination on the transformation of microstructure of these electrospun nanofibers have been characterized by XRD, FESEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The mean diameter of Ag loaded nanofibers has been found to decrease upon calcination which was estimated to 70 nm whereas length was in the order of mm range. XRD and RS results have strongly supported the transformation of crystalline phase from rutile (A) to anatase (R) above 2.5 wt.% of Ag loading in TiO₂ after calcination. The roughness on the outer surfaces of these nanofibers has been observed to increase with the Ag loading consequent to calcination, which has been attributed to the formation Ag nanoparticles that were found adsorbed at the surfaces. An interesting finding of this study is the existence of 1D nanofibers’ structure even at higher (7.5 wt.%) Ag loading, as observed by the SEM micrographs.     

Citronellal cyclisation over heteropoly acid supported on modified montmorillonite catalyst: effects of acidity and pore structure on catalytic activity

Citronellal cyclisation to isopulegol is an important intermediate step in the production of menthol. Several heteropoly acids (PTA) supported on modified montmorillonite (MM) catalysts were synthesized and then tested in cyclisation reactions. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, ICP-OES, FTIR, N₂ sorption, NH₃-TPD, pyridine adsorption, amine titration and FE-SEM techniques. Effects of post-treatment were studied on montmorillonite pore structure, acidity and catalytic activity. The catalytic activity and isopulegol selectivity improved with acid-treatment and PTA loading. The amount of Lewis acidity of montmorillonite was enhanced with acid-treatment and PTA impregnation. In cyclisation, highest catalytic activity (31.87 mmol cat g^?1 min^?1) was achieved with 96% isopulegol yield in the use of 20% PTA-MM catalyst. The highest catalytic activity and selectivity were obtained in the presence of higher acidity and strong Lewis acidic sites, whereas effects of pore structure blockage seemed minor. The catalytic activity further decreased with the loss of active acidic sites (L and B) due to PTA decomposition with calcination at a higher temperature.     

Sol–gel reactions of titanium alkoxides and water: influence of pH and alkoxy group on cluster formation and properties of the resulting products

In this work the effect of pH and the titanium precursor on the cluster and particle formation during titanium alkoxide based sol–gel processes was investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The influence of pH and the titanium precursor on the particle size, morphology, crystallinity and chemical composition of the resulting particles were investigated using differentiel scanning calometry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), BET-adsorption isotherms and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). ESI-MS investigation of the titanium clusters present during the nucleation and growth period showed that the number of titanium atoms in the clusters varied dependent on the alkoxide used. Moreover, it was found that the titanium clusters formed using titanium tetraethoxide (TTE) were smaller than the clusters formed by titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and titanium tetrabutoxide (TTB) under similar conditions. pH was not found to influence the nature of the titanium clusters present in the sol–gel solution. HR-TEM investigation of the TiO₂ particles prepared at pH 7 and 10 showed that the primary particle size of the particles was around 3 nm. However, it was found that these primary particles aggregated to form larger secondary particles in the size order of 300–500 nm range. At pH 3 the particles grew significantly during the drying process due to destabilization of the colloidal solution leading to the formation of a gel. The highest specific surface area was found for particles synthesized under neutral or alkaline conditions based on TTIP. XRD analysis of the TiO₂ particles showed that the particles synthesized at 25 °C were amorphous. First after heating the samples to above 300 °C the formation of anatase were observed.     

Amino-functionalized pore-expanded SBA-15 for CO2 adsorption

The adsorption of CO₂ on pore-expanded SBA-15 mesostructured silica functionalized with amino groups was studied. The synthesis of conventional SBA-15 was modified to obtain pore-expanded materials, with pore diameters from 11 to 15 nm. Post-synthesis functionalization treatments were carried out by grafting with diethylenetriamine (DT) and by impregnation with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption–desorption at 77 K, elemental analysis and Transmission Electron Microscopy. CO₂ capture was studied by using a volumetric adsorption technique at 45 °C. Consecutive adsorption–desorption experiments were also conducted to check the cyclic behaviour of adsorbents in CO₂ capture. An improvement in CO₂ adsorption capacity and efficiency of amino groups was found for pore-expanded SBA-15 impregnated materials in comparison with their counterparts prepared from conventional SBA-15 with smaller pore size. PEI and TEPA-based adsorbents reached significant CO₂ uptakes at 45 °C and 1 bar (138 and 164 mg CO₂/g, respectively), with high amine efficiencies (0.33 and 0.37 mol CO₂/mol N), due to the positive effect of the larger pore diameter in the diffusion and accessibility of organic groups. Pore-expanded SBA-15 samples grafted with DT and impregnated with PEI showed a good stability after several adsorption–desorption cycles of pure CO₂. PEI-impregnated adsorbent was tested in a fixed bed reactor with a diluted gas mixture containing 15 % CO₂, 5 % O₂, 80 % Ar and water (45 °C, 1 bar). A noteworthy adsorption capacity of 171 mg CO₂/g was obtained in these conditions, which simulate flue gas after the desulphurization step in a thermal power plant.     

胶溶法制备镧-钡共稳定氧化铝的性能

以硝酸为胶溶剂, 两种拟薄水铝石为前驱体, 用胶溶法制备了镧-钡共稳定的氧化铝. 采用X 射线衍射(XRD)、表面分析仪(BET)、氨气程序升温脱附(NH3-TPD)和NO2程序升温脱附(NO2-TPD)技术对所制备的镧改性和镧钡共改性氧化铝的结构特性和表面性能进行了表征. XRD结果表明, 改性氧化铝在1273 K焙烧后均以γ-Al2O3相存在. 当BaO添加量达到14%(w)时, 有少量BaCO3生成. BET结果表明, 在1273 K下焙烧5 h后, 5%(w)La2O3稳定的氧化铝(Ba-0)和5%La2O3与8%BaO共同稳定的氧化铝(Ba-8)均具有较大的比表面积, 各种氧化铝的吸附等温线表明它们的孔形状均为狭缝型孔和瓶型孔, 孔径分布曲线表明, 仅有样品Ba-8的孔径分布较宽, 孔径为6-10 nm, 其它三种样品的孔径均集中在10 nm; NH3-TPD结果表明, 随着氧化钡添加量的逐渐增多, 氧化铝表面的酸量、酸强度逐步减少. NO2-TPD结果表明, 添加BaO后载体对NO2的吸附量增多, 随着BaO含量的增多, 体相Ba(NO3)2增多. 由于样品Ba-8同时具有很好的织构性质、适中的表面酸量和酸强度分布及NO2吸附脱附能力, 使得以它为载体的催化剂具有最好的催化性能,丙烷的起燃温度和完全转化温度分别为526 K和593 K.     

DSC investigation of nanocrystalline TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> powder

The aim of the article is to investigate the influence of particle size on titanium dioxide phase transformations. Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide powder was obtained through a hydrothermal procedure in an aqueous media at high pressure (in the range 25–100 atm) and low temperature (≤200 °C). The as-prepared samples were characterized with respect to their composition by ICP (inductive coupled plasma), structure and morphology by XRD (X-ray diffraction), and TEM (transmission electron microscopy), thermal behavior by TG (thermogravimetry) coupled with DSC (differential scanning calorimetry). Thermal behavior of nanostructured TiO₂ was compared with three commercial TiO₂ samples. The sequence of brookite–anatase–rutile phase transformation in TiO₂ samples was investigated. The heat capacity of anatase and rutile in a large temperature range are reported.     

Preparation of large-area dye-sensitized solar cells based on hydrothermally synthesized nitrogen-doped TiO2 powders

Low-cost, yellowish, nanocrystalline nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO₂) powder was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared N-doped TiO₂ powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–Vis absorption spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis techniques. The grain size of the prepared powder was around 13 nm as estimated by both Scherrer’s method and TEM images. The effect of the ratio of N-doped TiO₂ particles to Degussa P25 on the photovoltaic performance of large-area dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was also investigated. The N-doped TiO₂ electrode showed higher photovoltaic performance compared with that of pure P25 at constant irradiation of 100 mW cm^?2, which is attributed to the large pore size and high surface area of N-doped TiO₂ resulting in the introduction of extra charge carrier pathways that could be beneficial for overall charge transportation. Energy conversion efficiency of 5.12 % was achieved in a DSSC device with active area of 51.19 cm².     

Enhanced surface area in thermally stable pure mesoporous TiO2

We describe here for the first time the surfactant-assisted synthesis of thermally stable mesoporous pure TiO₂ having a high surface area. Our synthetic approach to the chemistry of this system is based on the equilibrium between the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the inorganic species and the organic–inorganic self-assembling processes. The use of titanatrane complexes helps to retard the hydrolysis and condensation reactions, thus allowing us to overcome the difficulties in preparing titanium dioxide mesoporous materials starting from highly reactive Ti-alkoxides. The mesoporous material has been characterized by TEM, XRD and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms and displays a typical wormhole-like pore structure.     

Synthesis and characterization of new silica–titania mixed oxide in the presence of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide by sol–gel technique

Silica–titania mixed oxide were prepared by sol–gel method from tetraethylorthosilicate and titanium (IV) isopropoxide as precursors in the presence of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [C₄MIm][NTf₂]. The effects of [C₄MIm][NTf₂] on the structural and textural characteristics of silica–titania matrix are investigated in this paper. The materials obtained were well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis. It is believed that the [C₄MIm][NTf₂] plays an important role as a template and the high surface area of the samples is thought to mainly attribute to the formation of microporous in the reaction. The synthesized materials showed the presence of C–N groups in the FTIR spectrum which indicates the presence of RTIL in the silica–titania matrix. XRPD, FESEM and N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis results indicated that the composite materials possessed good microporous character. The subsequent material displayed average pore diameter of 1.70–2.12 nm, pore volume of 0.08–0.19 cm³/g and BET surface area of 191–386 m²/g. Increasing the content of RTIL resulted in an increase of the average pore diameter of the silica–titania gel.