SiO2-TiO2/montmorillonite composites with varying SiO2/TiO2 molar ratios were synthesized and the effect of the SiO2/TiO2 ratio on the solid acidity of the resulting composites was investigated. Four composites with SiO2/TiO2 molar ratios of 0. 0.1, 1 and 10 were synthesized by the reaction of colloidal SiO2-TiO2 particles prepared from alkoxides with sodium-montmorillonite at room temperature. The composites showed slight expansion and broadening of the XRD basal reflection. corresponding to the intercalation of fine colloidal SiO2-TiO2 particles into the montmorillonite sheets and incomplete intercalation to form disordered stacking of exfoliated montmorillonite and colloidal SiO2-TiO2 particles. The colloidal particles crystallized to anatase in the low SiO2/TiO2 composites but remained amorphous in the high SiO2/TiO2 composites. The specific surface areas (S-BET) of the composites measured by N-2 adsorption ranged from 250 to 370 m(2)/g, considerably greater than in montmorillonite (6 m(2)/g). The pore size increased with decreasing SiO2/TiO2 molar ratio of the composites. The NH3-TPD spectra of the composites consisted of overlapping peaks, corresponded to temperatures of about 190 and 290 degrees C. The amounts of solid acid obtained from NH3-TPD were 186-338 mu mol/g in the composites: these values are higher than in the commercial catalyst K10 (85 mu mol/g), which is synthesized by acid-treatment of montmorillonite. The present sample with SiO2/TiO2 = 0.1 showed the highest amount of acid, about four times higher than K10. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.