Time controlled synthesis of block copolymer-directed titanium dioxide mesostructures

• Main Author: Ong, Victoria Kai Ting
• Other Authors: Tan Kwan Wee
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/139014
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In recent years, the demand for mesoporous metal oxides have been on the rise to cater to various applications such as photovoltaics, carbon capture and energy storage. While various synthesis methods have been explored, evaporation-induced self-assembly method is the still most versatile for the controlled generation of well-ordered mesoporous metal oxides. We report a modified form of evaporation induced self-assembly process employing Pluronic F127 triblock copolymer as structure director of titanium oxide sol nanoparticles. The hybrid materials were characterized by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and optical microscopy. We found that the optimal evaporation duration was 24 hours, enabling the formation of a homogeneous monolith with ordered hybrid mesostructure consistent to the hexagonal morphology. Reducing the solvent evaporation duration to 6 hours induced spinodal decomposition, yielding a hierarchical and disordered hybrid mesostructure. Such hierarchical mesoporous titanium oxide structures with high flux and pore accessibility may be beneficial for catalysis and membrane separation.