Abstract
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.
Highlights
Aerogels, as a group of nanomaterials with an immense number of possible applications, have been gaining significant interest in the research community
The TiO2 aerogel can be obtained by the sol-gel method using special drying methods such as supercritical [18,19,20], sublimation [21], and subcritical [22] drying or drying under ambient conditions [23] to preserve the formed mesopores
To increase the efficiency of the solar perovskite-based solar module, it would be desirable to maximize the working effective perovskite area by using a mesoporous TiO2 aerogel with a high surface area. This investigation aimed to synthesize high porosity TiO2 aerogel by applying sol-gel and subcritical drying methods and to determine the influence of reagent’s nature and synthesis conditions on their structural and optical properties to further their application for the mesoporous network charge carrier material of perovskites during solar cell manufacturing
Summary
Aerogels, as a group of nanomaterials with an immense number of possible applications, have been gaining significant interest in the research community. Surface modification [24], gel ageing [22], and additional solvent exchange [25] can be used to prevent the shrinking and cracking of the TiO2 gel network and to obtain TiO2 aerogel during the drying. To increase the efficiency of the solar perovskite-based solar module, it would be desirable to maximize the working effective perovskite area by using a mesoporous TiO2 aerogel with a high surface area This investigation aimed to synthesize high porosity TiO2 aerogel by applying sol-gel and subcritical drying methods and to determine the influence of reagent’s nature and synthesis conditions on their structural and optical properties to further their application for the mesoporous network charge carrier material of perovskites during solar cell manufacturing.
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