Combined use of cosurfactant/surfactant mixtures and swelling agents in the synthesis of mesoporous titanium oxophosphates

In this contribution we present results connected to the successful use of a hydrophobic swelling agent, trimethylbenzene, in the synthesis of hexagonally ordered surfactant-titanium oxophosphate mesophases in the presence of a cationic surfactant under acidic conditions. Furthermore, when a nonionic cosurfactant was used together with the cationic surfactant, an efficient swelling was achieved. This effect is attributed to a decrease in the preferential interfacial curvature of the mixed cosurfactant/surfactant supramolecular aggregates. Removal of the surfactant from the titanium oxophosphate by calcination was successfully achieved and truly mesoporous materials were obtained. The materials were characterized by powder XRD, nitrogen sorption, TEM, and TG-DTA/MS.