Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.30, No.8, 1010-1013, 2007
Biomimetic synthesis and characterization of mesoporous titanium dioxide
Mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) with a pore size range from 5-7 nm was synthesized by a sol-gel method using biosurfactant phosphatidylcholines as an organic template. Titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) was used as the precursor. A very fine mesoporous structure formed in the particle was maintained after a heat treatment at 700 degrees C. Low-angle X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and a pore size distribution curve revealed the existence of the mesoporous structure. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms were utilized for further characterization. A significant red shift in the UV-VIS spectrum of the porous material was observed, which could be explained by the energy band theory. The results confirmed the synthesis of mesoporous TiO2.