Surfactant-Free Solvothermal Method for Synthesis of Mesoporous Nanocrystalline TiO2 Microspheres with Tailored Pore Size

Abstract EN

TiO2 mesoporous microspheres self-assembled from nanoparticles were synthesized by a surfactant-free solvothermal route.

The TiO2 precursors were fabricated by tetrabutyl titanate, glacial acetic acid, and urea in the ethanol solution at 140°C for 20 h, and TiO2 mesoporous microspheres were obtained by a postcalcination at temperatures of 450°C for promoting TiO2 crystallization and the removal of residual organics.

The phase structure, morphology, and pore nature were characterized by XRD, SEM, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements.

The as-prepared TiO2 microspheres are in anatase phase, with 2-3 μm in diameter, and narrow pore distribution range is 3-4 nm.

The adjustments of the synthetic parameters lead to the formation of the mesoporous TiO2 microspheres with tuned pore size distributions and morphology.