Surface properties of hydrolysed titania. I. Titania prepared from titanium tetra‐alkoxides

Samples of active titania have been prepared by the hydrolysis with steam of several titanium tetra‐alkoxides under neutral ion‐free conditions, and their surface properties studied by nitrogen adsorption at − 195.8°. It is shown that for a series of normal alkoxides hydrolysed from solution in either benzene or the parent alcohol, the product has a stable surface area close to 300 m.2 g.−1, being porous with a mean pore radius of about 20 A. No appreciable ageing was observed except when the titania gel was kept in contact with the boiling mother‐liquor. By hydrolysis in acidic and basic media and subsequent alteration of the pH, a variation in pore size was obtained.