catalysts Review Eco-Friendly Colloidal Aqueous Sol-Gel Process for TiO2 Synthesis: The Peptization Method to Obtain Crystalline and Photoactive Materials at Low Temperature Julien G. Mahy 1,* , Louise Lejeune 1, Tommy Haynes 1 , Stéphanie D. Lambert 2 , Raphael Henrique Marques Marcilli 3, Charles-André Fustin 3 and Sophie Hermans 1,* 1 Molecular Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis (MOST), Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 1, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
[email protected] (L.L.);
[email protected] (T.H.) 2 Department of Chemical Engineering—Nanomaterials, Catalysis, Electrochemistry, B6a, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium;
[email protected] 3 Bio and Soft Matter Division (BSMA), Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Louis Pasteur 1, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
[email protected] (R.H.M.M.);
[email protected] (C.-A.F.) * Correspondence:
[email protected] (J.G.M.);
[email protected] (S.H.); Tel.: +32-10-47-28-10 (S.H.) Abstract: This work reviews an eco-friendly process for producing TiO via colloidal aqueous sol– 2 gel synthesis, resulting in crystalline materials without a calcination step. Three types of colloidal Citation: Mahy, J.G.; Lejeune, L.; aqueous TiO2 are reviewed: the as-synthesized type obtained directly after synthesis, without any Haynes, T.; Lambert, S.D.; specific treatment; the calcined, obtained after a subsequent calcination step; and the hydrothermal, Marcilli, R.H.M.; Fustin, C.-A.; obtained after a specific autoclave treatment. This eco-friendly process is based on the hydrolysis of a Hermans, S.