Thermal Decomposition of Titanium Alkoxide and Silicate Ester in Organic Solvent: A New Method for Synthesizing Large-Surface-Area, Silica-Modified Titanium(IV) Oxide of High Thermal Stability

Silica-modified titanium oxide (S-TiO₂) powders that have an anatase structure were synthesized via the thermal decomposition of mixtures of titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TIP) and tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) in toluene at 300°C. These S-TiO₂ materials had high rutile-transformation temperatures and maintained large surface areas at elevated temperatures (550°–1000°C). For example, the product that was prepared from a 9:1 TIP:TMOS mixture transformed to rutile at ∼1100°C and possessed a surface area of 160 m²/g, even after calcination at 800°C for 1 h.