Preparation of a mesoporous high surface area titanium oxo phosphate via a non-ionic surfactant route

Since the development of the first mesoporous silica materials by scientists of Mobil Oil [J.S. Beck, US Patent (Mobil Oil Corporation) 5, 057 (1991) 296], the synthesis principle has been applied to other metal oxides. Here, we report a new mesoporous titanium oxo phosphate, which is synthesized by a non-ionic template route ((NI0)-I-0). The formation of the mesoporous structure is dominated by hydrogen bonding between self-assembled surfactant micelles and inorganic precursors. A low-cost industrial polyethylenoxide named Dodecanol +5 EO (BASF) was used as a non-ionic surfactant. The N-2-adsorption isotherm reveals the existence of mesoporosity in these titanium oxo phosphates with a type IV isotherm and a BET-surface area of 350 m(2) g(-1), with pore sizes calculated to be approximately 4.5 nm. The materials are thermally stable up to 550 degrees C, among the highest temperatures reported far very high surface area mesoporous oxides so far. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.