Self-assembled titanium phosphonate nanomaterial having a mesoscopic void space and its optoelectronic application

Abstract

Here we report the synthesis of a new crystalline titanium phosphonate material (HTiP-7) having a self-assembled nanostructure and a mesoscopic void space without the aid of any surfactant or templating agent. The material has been synthesized hydrothermally through the reaction between benzene-1,3,5-triphosphonic acid (BTPA) and titanium(IV) isopropoxide at neutral pH at 453 K for 24 h. This hybrid phosphonate material has been thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N₂ sorption, HR TEM, FE SEM, TG-DTA, FT IR and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopic studies. Two very well-known software packages, REFLEX and CELSIZ unit cell refinement programs, are employed to establish the triclinic crystal phase of this hybrid material (HTiP-7). Very tiny nanocrystals of HTiP-7 self-aggregated to form spherical nanoparticles of dimension ca. 25 nm together with a mesoscopic void space and good BET surface area (255 m² g⁻¹). The framework is thermally stable up to 650 K. The material showed excellent carrier mobility for photocurrent generation in the presence of a photosensitizer molecule (Rose Bengal). To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a photon-to-electron energy transfer process over a dye doped titanium phosphonate nanomaterial.