Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Local structures of high surface area sodium titanate materials have been examined as a function of pH using solid state 17O nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Using 17O NMR, it is possible to determine the relative populations of nonbridging oxygens as well as oxygens bridging between two, three, and four titanium atoms. Results show that protonation of ion exchange sites in titanate materials is not a simple ion exchange process but involves a repolymerization and restructuring of the titanate network. The observed structural changes are consistent with reported phase stabilities of titanates in water as well as with known hydrolysis and condensation reactions.