Bottom-up synthesis of titanophosphate nanosheets by the aqueous solution process.

The synthesis of titanophosphate nanosheets in aqueous sols was examined by the bottom-up process. The nanosheets were formed by mixing titanium iso-propoxide, phosphoric acid, and tetraalkylammonium hydroxide (NROH) aqueous solutions, followed by diluting with water and heating at 80 °C, forming translucent aqueous sols of titanophosphate nanosheets with the same crystal structure as layered titanium phosphate TiO(HPO)·2HO. Whether the nanosheets were crystallized depended on the reactions during the mixing of reagents before the water dilution.