Abstract:
Titania aerogels were synthesized by sol–gel route followed by ambient pressure subcritical drying technique.
The aerogels synthesized in the present work possess a maximum surface area of 252 m2
/g. The pore size
distribution is between 2 and 30 nm which confirms their mesoporosity. The oxygen plasma treatment on titania
aerogel thin films improved the surface area up to 273 m2
/g and produced additional hydrophilic groups on the
surface. It is confirmed by BET surface area, XPS and thermal analysis in conjunction with dye adsorption studies.
After plasma treatment the dye adsorption capacity was increased 2.5 times higher than that of untreated aerogel
film. The increased surface area and the hydrophilic groups generated on the titania aerogel surface during
plasma treatment are responsible for enhanced dye adsorption. The overall nanoporous morphology of titania
aerogel is preserved after plasma treatment.
