Fabrication of TiO_2 nanospheres by template replication in porous carbon networks

摘要

A silica-colloidal template approach was used to prepare monodisperse nanospheres of TiO_2. Close-packed arrays of silica spheres were infiltrated with a sucrose precursor used as a source of carbon. The infiltrated sucrose was carbonized by calcination at 800 ℃ in flowing argon. After removal of the silica spheres by washing with HF, a porous carbon replica remained. The resulting pores in the replica were then filled with a chloroform solution of titanium alkoxide. Nanospheres of TiO_2 approximately 200 nm in diameter were obtained after calcination of the organic component at 600 ℃ in an argon atmosphere and subsequent sintering in air at 700 ℃.