Influences of solvent on properties of TiO2 porous films prepared by a sol-gel method from the system containing PEG

• Published in: Journal of sol-gel science and technology Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 103 - 111
• Main Authors: LIU, Xiaoxin, JIN, Zhengguo, BU, Shaojing, YIN, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.10.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anatase; Butanol; Chemistry; Colloidal gels. Colloidal sols; Colloidal state and disperse state; Crystallization; Decanol; Dip coatings; Ethanol; Exact sciences and technology; Film thickness; General and physical chemistry; Immersion coating; Optical properties; Phase separation; Porous materials; Self-assembly; Sol-gel processes; Solvents; Terpineol; Titanium dioxide; Solvent effect; Ethylene oxide polymer; PEG templating; different solvents; Film; Sol gel process; Transition element compounds; TiO2 porous films; Titanium oxide; Porous material; Template; sol-gel
• ISSN: 0928-0707; 1573-4846
• DOI: 10.1007/s10971-005-2746-6

Ethanol, n-butanol, mixed ethanol/terpineol and ethanol/1-decanol were used as the solvents to prepare porous TiO2 films by the sol-gel method from the system containing tetrabutylorthotitanate as starting material and PEG as a template. The comparison of effects of the four solvents on the porous structure, film thickness, crystallization behavior from amorphous to anatase and optical properties of the resultant TiO2 porous films are discussed. The maximum thickness of the film prepared by one-run dip-coating reaches over 1.17 μm when 1-decanol is used as the solvent. The mechanism for formation of the porous structure is interpreted based on the phase separation and self-assembly of PEG in the sol systems.