Effect of Precursor Nature and Sol-Gel Synthesis Conditions on TiO2 Aerogel’s Structure

Autor: Jolanta Doneliene, Egle Fataraite-Urboniene, Matas Rudzikas, Saulius Pakalka, Nina Danchova, Juras Ulbikas
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecules, Vol 26, Iss 16, p 5090 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 26165090
1420-3049
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26165090
Popis: The aim of this investigation was to synthesize high porosity TiO2 aerogel by applying sol-gel and subcritical drying methods and to identify the influence of reagent’s nature and synthesis conditions on their structural and optical properties. Methods of XRD, FT-IR, BET, STA, SEM, and UV-vis were applied to investigate and compare the properties of synthesized TiO2 aerogels and to determine the most effective synthesis route. The structural parameters of the synthesized materials can be varied by changing the precursor type (titanium (IV), isopropoxide (TIP), or tetrabutylorthotitanate (TBOT)) and the nature of the solvent used for additional exchange (n-hexane (nH), cyclohexane (CH), or diethyl ether (DE)). All of the subcritical dried samples show the amorphous structure, which tends to crystallize into the anatase phase after calcination. The number of micro and mesopores and the specific surface area depends on the synthesis conditions. The pores with the highest diameter have been found for additionally nH exchanged and aged aerogel synthesized from precursor TIP. Despite the imperfections in the structure, the produced aerogels show structural and optical properties typical of the TiO2 structures mentioned in the literature.
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