Novel-Type Inorganic Foams from Preceramic Polymers with Embedded Titania Nanoparticles for Photo-Catalytic Applications

Photocatalytic active silica-based foams were prepared by embedding nanotitania (anatase) into a self-foaming glass particle-loaded preceramic polymer and then thermally converting it in air into a silica-based material. The foaming behavior of the mixture was found to be influenced by the volume fraction of the filler materials, resulting in open-cellular or fused composite materials. Transformation from the anatase modification into the rutile modification is prevented even at 800 degrees C by the formation of Si-O-Ti bonds. The composite foam structure with embedded nanotitania was tested in methylene blue decomposition under UV irradiation and it was found to have higher photocatalytic activity compared to unsupported nanotitania.