Preparation of mesoporous titania nanocrystals using alkylamine surfactant templates

Mesoporous titania nanocrystals were obtained through the surfactant-assisted templating method (SATM). The synthesis was carried out in the presence of two series of micellar surfactant systems, namely (CnH2n+1)2NCH3 and (CnH2n+1)NH2 with n = 8–14. The sol–gel processed nanocrystalline titania were characterized by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. The morphologies of titania were affected by the formation conditions, e.g., carbon chain length of hydrophilic tails of alkylamine surfactants, and calcination conditions. SAXS experiments indicated that the structure of titania sol under SATM was explained by the mass fractal model. The synthesized powders exhibited anatase-type mesoporous structure with surface area of up to 215 m2 g−1.