Synthesis of Titania-Pillared Hydrogen Tetratitanate Nanocomposites and Control of Slit Width

Slit-width-controlled H 2 Ti 4 O 9 /TiO 2 nanocomposites were fabricated by stirring with (C n H 2 n +1 NH 3 ) 2 Ti 4 O 9 and a titanyl acylate complex at 20 °C for 48 h followed by UV light irradiation from a 450 W high-pressure mercury lamp. (C n H 2 n +1 NH 3 ) 2 Ti 4 O 9 was synthesized by an intercalation reaction with H 2 Ti 4 O 9 and C n H 2 n +1 NH 2 in aqueous or heptane solution for 48 h. The remaining C n H 2 n +1 NH 2 and acylate after titania incorporation was completely decomposed into CO 2, H 2 O, and NH 3 by UV light irradiation. A slit in the obtained nanocomposites was produced, and its width could be controlled by changing the carbon length of C n H 2 n +1 NH 2 . Furthermore, the slit expansion and the transformation of the layer structure to fiberlike TiO 2 were successfully confirmed by scanning electron microscopy photographs for the first time.