Preparation and thermal stability of La2O3–Al2O3 aerogels from chemically modified Al-alkoxide

La-doped Al2O3 aerogels (containing 0.5–10 mol% La2O3) were prepared using Al-alkoxide chemically modified with ethyl acetoacetate. The specific surface area of non-doped Al2O3 aerogels heat-treated at 1000 to 1200 °C was greatly increased by doping a small amount of La2O3 . X-Ray diffraction measurements showed that the crystalline phase of La-doped Al2O3 aerogels containing 1 mol% La2O3 heat-treated at 1200 °C for 2 h was θ-Al2O3 , while that of non-doped Al2O3 aerogels was α-Al2O3 . The La2O3–Al2O3 aerogels heat-treated at 1000–1200 °C showed the largest specific surface area at the composition of 1 mol% La2O3 with the presence of the θ-Al2O3 phase.