Design of meso-structured titanium oxo based hybrid organic–inorganic networks

Abstract

Titanium oxo clusters or nanosized Ti–O particles with hydrophobic or hydrophilic character can be obtained by varying the sol–gel synthesis conditions. These species are potentially interesting nano-building blocks (NBB) in the design of textured materials. The reactivity of well-defined hydrophobic NBB towards different nucleophiles has been characterised and discussed, in order to understand the processes taking place in the formation of meso-organised hybrids. Subsequently, different synthesis conditions were used to generate textured titania-based hybrid phases, using PEO-based surfactants as templating agents. The tuning of the interactions between the template and the different kinds of nano-building blocks allow worm-like and hexagonal titania-based hybrid phases to be reproducibly obtained.