Synthesis of mesoporous titanium dioxide materials by using a mixture of organic compounds as a non-surfactant template

Abstract

Mesoporous titanium dioxide materials have been successfully prepared at ambient temperature via HCl-catalyzed hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of titanium(IV) n-butoxide by employing a mixture of β-cyclodextrin (CD) and urea (U) as a non-surfactant template, followed by removal of the mixture with water extraction. FT-IR analysis demonstrates the complete removal of the template molecules after extraction with water. The characterization results of nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements show that the obtained materials have type IV isotherms with H2 hysteresis loops. The BJH pore size distribution plots indicate that the pore sizes show no obvious changes with the decrease in weight ratio of CD/U (3.7–4.1 nm) or increase in template content (3.9–3.6 nm). The interactions induced by hydrogen bonding between these two molecules and inorganic species play important roles in the above results. Small- and large-angle powder X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy reveal that the afforded titanium dioxide materials have anatase structures as well as disordered pore structures.