Chemical Tuning of Adsorption Properties of Titanate Nanotubes

Abstract EN

A conventional hydrothermal method widely used for the preparation of titania-based nanotubes still generates many unsolved questions.

One of them is definitely connected with the influence of a posthydrothermal treatment of titania nanotubes on their micromorphology, structure, and adsorption characteristics.

Here, it was analyzed systematically by a group of methods including nitrogen adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia and carbon dioxide.

It is proved that adsorption characteristics and the surface state of titania nanotubes correlate with a sodium content, since sodium ions act as Lewis acid sites and shield Ti4+ acid sites of the nanotubes.

To obey a balance between chemical and heat treatments of the nanotubes to design their functional properties has been suggested.