Effect of Surfactant on the Physical Properties of Hierarchically Macro–Mesoporous Metal Oxides

Hierarchically macro–mesoporous titania and alumina were prepared by simply dropwise addition of titanium and aluminum alkoxides to an ammonia solution in the presence or absence of surfactant molecules, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The textural, morphological, and crystalline phase features of the prepared and calcined samples were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, SEM, and XRD analysis. It was found that the surfactant molecules had a significant effect on the physical properties of the hierarchically porous metal oxides.