SAXS and TEM Investigation of Titania Coated Silica Gels. Thomas Rieker¹, Aree Hanprasopwattana^1,2, and Abhaya Datye¹, (1)Center for Microengineered Materials and (2)Department of Chemistry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provide complementary macro-and microscopic information in determining the morphology of silica gels and titania coatings on these substrates. Control of the hydrolysis and condensation of soluble titanium precursors yield high surface area titania coatings on silica with high thermal stability compared with commercial bulk titania. The deposition of titania ranges from smooth, nearly monolayer coatings on the silica, to rough coatings in which colloidal particles of titania are deposited within the silica matrix. Smooth coatings of titania yield a surface fractal dimension of 3. While rough coatings form a mass fractal of dimension 2.76.