Characterization of HF-catalyzed silica gels doped with Degussa P25 titanium dioxide

SiO₂/TiO₂ composites were synthesized by adding Degussa P25 TiO₂ to a liquid sol that was catalyzed by HNO₃ and HF acids. Various composites were synthesized by altering the mass loading of TiO₂ and concentration of HF added to the liquid sol before gelation. The resulting materials were characterized by SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, streaming potential, XRD, diffuse reflectance and TiO₂ surface area analyses. Approximate characteristics include an isoelectric point of 3, TiO₂ particle size of 30 nm, and a band gap energy of 3.2 eV. Small variations in these properties were noted for the different composites. Physical characteristics were largely affected by HF concentration and TiO₂ loading. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms were type IV for all materials and exhibited trends of decreased pore volume with an increase in TiO₂ loading and an increase in pore diameter with increased HF concentration. Surface areas of the composites ranged from 167 to 630 m²/g. Available TiO₂ surface area of the composite was also dependent upon TiO₂ loading and increased as the mass composition of TiO₂ increased but was not largely affected by HF concentration.