Thermogravimetric study of the surfactant–diethanolamine–titanium isopropoxide system behavior

Abstract

Mesoporous anatase TiO2 materials with specific surface areas between 70 and 110 m2 g−1 were prepared via sol–gel technique using surfactants oleic acid and Triton-X (TX), in the presence or absence of diethanolamine, in methanol. Surfactants like TX or oleic acid (OA), as well as a gelating and chelate agent like diethanolamine (DEA) are commonly used in TiO2 formation from a titanium isopropoxide solution. Thermogravimetric methods were applied in order to evaluate the effect of the addition of such molecules in a precursor suspension before TiO2 materials preparation. The in situ investigation of such systems showed that numerous interactions occur between large molecules such as TX and OA that attributed on both steric effects and hydrogen bond formation. Materials prepared through modified sol–gel technique seem to be stabilized through DEA addition in the precursor suspension.