Enhanced surface area in thermally stable pure mesoporous TiO₂

We describe here for the first time the surfactant-assisted synthesis of thermally stable mesoporous pure TiO₂ having a high surface area. Our synthetic approach to the chemistry of this system is based on the equilibrium between the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the inorganic species and the organic-inorganic self-assembling processes. The use of titanatrane complexes helps to retard the hydrolysis and condensation reactions, thus allowing us to overcome the difficulties in preparing titanium dioxide mesoporous materials starting from highly reactive Ti-alkoxides. The mesoporous material has been characterized by TEM, XRD and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms and displays a typical wormhole-like pore structure. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.