Abstract:
Titania pillared zirconium phosphate and titanium phosphate samples were prepared by intercalating titanium(IV) isopropoxide sol inside the phosphate layer. The sol-intercalated samples were calcined at various temperatures and characterised by different techniques. Basal spacing and surface area revealed that highest amount of pillaring in interlayer has taken place with 2 and 4 wt.% TiO2 loading for ZrP and TiP. respectively. These pillared samples are stable up to 500degreesC and exhibit highest surface area in the range of 70-172 m(2) g(-1), basal spacing in the range of 15.5-25.9 Angstrom, which is greater than that of neat ZrP and TiP. These materials also showed greater activity towards photo-oxidation of 4-nitrophenol under solar radiation. The low crystallite size, low pH(pzc), high surface area, higher acid sites and larger basal spacing might be responsible for highest activity shown by 2 and 4 wt.% pillared ZrP and TiP, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.