A neutral templating route to mesoporous titanium phosphate molecular sieves with enhanced thermal stability

For the first time the mesoporous titanium phosphates with high surface area and highly thermal stability were synthesized using long-chain n-alkylamine as structure-directing agents under an ethanol system containing a small quantity of water. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) show that the disorder mesopores exist in the mesostructured materials. The mesoporous titanium phosphates calcinated at 500 °C for 10 h still retain the refined pore structure and the high surface area. UV–vis absorption suggests most of titanium is tetrahedrally coordinated in the framework of calcinated mesoporous titanium phosphates. The high catalytic activity in the liquid-phase partial oxidation of cyclohexene with H2O2 oxidant supports the tetrahedral coordination of titanium in these materials.