Novel Synthesis of Thermally Stable, Alumina-modified Titania. Thermal Decomposition of Alkoxides in Organic Solvent.

Alumina-modified titania sample (Al–TiO2) in anatase form was synthesized by thermal decomposition of mixtures of alkoxides of titanium and aluminum in toluene at 300 °C. The Al–TiO2 prepared from titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TIP) and aluminum ethoxide (Ti/Al mole ratio 9) transformed into rutile at around 1000 °C, and it possessed a surface area of 48 m2 g−1, even after calcination at 800 °C for 1 h. Another Al–TiO2 prepared from TIP and aluminum isopropoxide showed lesser thermal stability (39 m2 g−1 at 800 °C), suggesting that reactivity of aluminum alkoxides determines the thermal stability of produced Al–TiO2.