Mineral supportd TiO2 composite was intensively studied, but nano-TiO2 was immobilized on surface of mineral by physical adsorption in most cases. The result was that TiO2 NPs ease to peel off and it's hard to disperse TiO2 NPs homogenously on mineral surface during the preparation process, which compromise the photocatalytic performance of mineral supportd TiO2 composite. It is of significance to establish a chemical contact betweeen TiO2 and support mineral.
You can try to employ the solution combustion synthesis approach. It's a novel method of preparing homogeneous and well dispersed bulk and supported materials.
You can try the sol-gel hydrolysis method for TiO2 synthesis by using some isopropoxide precursors of titania. In the second step, for mineral attachment to TiO2, try the wetness impregnation method.
Article Dehydration of glucose/fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (...
Functionalization is the best way to enhance the interaction between TiO2 and support;
1) Do study the properties of your material (both TiO2 and support) including the surface charge. Better to study at working pH.
2) Choose some suitable chemical moieties for to tuning the surface charge of your material (as required at working pH).
3) Surface functionalization enhances both electrostatic as well as chemical interaction between your support material and TiO2.
I was able to support TiO2 nanoparticles on SiO2 micropartivce supports using a polymer bridge containing silanes (to bind to the SiO2) and nitrodopamine (which provides a catechol functionality which chelates to a range of metal oxide surfaces). While looking into this problem, I also found literature which indicated that phosphonic groups bind well to TiO2, and there are commercially available e.g. silanes which are functionalised with these