Novel synthesis of microcrystalline titanium(IV) oxide having high thermal stability and ultra-high photocatalytic activity: thermal decomposition of titanium(IV) alkoxide in organic solvents

摘要

Thermal decomposition of titanium(IV) tetra-tert-butoxide (TTB) in inert organic solvents at 573 K yielded microcrystalline anatase (titanium(IV) oxide, TiO_2) powders with a crystallite size of ca. 9 nm and a surface area of > 100 m~2 g~1. Primary and sec- ondary alkoxides of titanium(IV), however, were not decomposed under similar conditions, indicting that the thermal stability of C-O bonds in the alkoxides was a decisive factor for their decomposition. The TiO_2 prepared from TTB by this manner was ther- Mally stable upon calcination in air and retained high surface area of ca.