Polymer gel template for porous TiO2 production

Porous networks of titanium dioxide have been produced using polymer gels as templates. Titanium dioxide is well known for its semiconductor and catalysis properties, and for being a very stable material. The porous polymer gels are produced in aqueous surfactant solutions. Following cleaning and solvent exchange procedures the titanium precursor can be incorporated within the gel and hydrolysed. The organic material is removed during calcination leaving the structured titanium dioxide. Both the rutile and anatase forms of titanium dioxide can be produced. The resulting crystal structure and the surface area of the oxide are important for determining its scope of application. These properties have been studied using electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and gas sorption.