Preparation of porous titanium phosphate glass-ceramics for NH3 gas adsorption with self-cleaning ability

Porous glass-ceramics with a skeleton of gamma-Ti(HPO4)(2)center dot 2H(2)O crystals are derived from glasses in the Li2O-CaO-TiO2-P2O5 system by utilizing spinodal-type phase separation, crystallization and subsequent acid treatment of the resulting glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramics have both microsized (1-2 mu m) and nano-sized pores (5-30 nm), and they adsorb polar molecules. In the present work, porous TiO2 layers of 200-500 nm thickness were successfully deposited on the surfaces of the glass-ceramics by an infiltration of Ti(OCH(CH3)(2))(4) and water vapor treatment at 100 degrees C under 100% relative humidity. X-ray diffractometry and laser Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of anatase crystals. The resulting anatase-modified porous glass-ceramics show high activities for NH3 adsorption as well as for photodecomposition of the adsorbed NH3 molecules. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.