Effect of solvent species inside wet gel on fabrication of titania nanoparticle by supercritical carbon dioxide drying

Abstract

Titania nanoparticles were fabricated by sol–gel reaction and supercritical carbon dioxide drying. The solvent inside wet gel obtained from sol–gel reaction was exchanged to organic solvents, acetone, 1-butanol and N-methylpyrrolidone before the supercritical drying. The wet gels exchanged by organic solvents were dried in supercritical carbon dioxide at 313K and 10.0 and 20.0MPa. It is found that the structures of the titania nanoparticles were like nano-needle. The minor-axis sizes of the nano-needle titania nanoparticles were measured by a scanning electron microscope observation. The wet gel exchanged by 1-butanol results in the smallest minor-axis of titania nanoparticles, 97nm in the supercritical drying at 313K and 20.0MPa. The drying of the wet gel exchanged with N-methylpyrrolidone exhibit the reduction of the minor-axis of titania nanoparticle larger than those with acetone and 1-butanol, 181 to 103nm by increase of pressure, 10.0 to 20.0MPa.