PNNL

Abstract

Mesoporous TiO2 thin films were synthesized by sol-gel processing using an aqueous-based, inexpensive and environmentally friendly precursor and cationic surfactants as templates under mild reaction conditions. The films were prepared by spin-coating on glass substrates followed by calcination to remove the surfactant. N2 sorption, x-ray diffraction and TEM were used to characterize the porosity, pore size and pore structure before and after calcination. Films were found to have wormlike pore structures after calcination, and surface areas on the order of 200 m2/g. These results show that the mesostructure and porosity of the thin films can be controlled by the surfactant template chemistry such as surfactant/Ti ratio, pH, and the rate of solvent evaporation.