ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation of nanocrystalline anatase TiO₂ using basic sol-gel method

Xiong Bi-Tao, Zhou Bao-Xue, Li Long-Hai, Cai Jun, Liu Yan-Biao, and Cai Wei-Min

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China

E-mail: zhoubaoxue@sjtu.edu.cn

Received: 3 April 2007  Revised: 15 September 2007  Accepted: 7 December 2007

Abstract: Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide particles with anatase structure and high thermal stability have been synthesized using the basic sol-gel method. The particle size and morphology were refined under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of different concentrations of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) at 210°C and 230°C. XRD and TEM analysis showed that the TiO₂ particles obtained were homogeneous and monodispersive at low contents of TMAH. All intense peaks, clearly observed in the XRD patterns, were assigned to the anatase phase and no rutile phase was observed. At high contents of TMAH, nanoscale small (10–30 nm) and larger (>100 nm) TiO₂ particles were one-pot synthesized. The nanocrystalline TiO₂ particles synthesized by this method have good thermal stability. With the sintering temperature of up to 650°C, all the XRD peaks maintained good agreement with the anatase reference data.

Keywords: sol-gel preparation - nanocrystalline titania - tetramethylammonium hydroxide

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-008-0040-0

Chemical Papers 62 (4) 382–387 (2008)