Synthesis of N/Al Doped TiO<sub>2</sub> Mesoporous Nanomaterials with Pyridine as a Template

Abstract

With tetrabutyl orthotitanate, hydrazine hydrate and aluminum chloride hexahydrate as original materials and pyridine as a template reagent, N/Al doped TiO2 (N-TiO2, Al-TiO2, Al-N-TiO2) mesoporous nanomaterials were successfully synthesized through a simple and environmentally friendly solid state reaction route. The textural properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), ultraviolet visible light spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscope and N2 adsorption-desorption at 77K. Moreover, the formation mechanism of the N/Al-doped TiO2 mesoporous material was proposed in presence of pyridine. It clearly shows that the microscopic structure of Al-N-TiO2 nanomaterial with crystal anatase phase is an irregular shape nanoparticle with size of 5~20 nm. N atoms as N3- states have been incorporated into the lattice of TiO2 or have been entered into the interstice of TiO2 lattice. Al ions occupy the sites of Ti in crystal lattices by isomorphous replacement. Either the doping of N or Al, or the co-doping of N and Al, it can effectively embarrass the crystal growth of TiO2. The specific surface area and the average pore diameter are the 138.4 m2/g and 1.9 nm, respectively. Interestingly, the UV-vis spectra display that the adsorption intensity of N-Al-TiO2 nanomaterial decreases in the order of N-Al-TiO2＞N-TiO2＞Al-TiO2.