Rapid one-pot synthesis of ultrafine titania nanocrystals and their conversion into transparent mesoporous thin layer films

Abstract

Ultrafine titania nanocrystals were synthesized using a rapid heating, one-pot solvothermal method. These nanocrystals are extremely small with a narrow size distribution (3.0 ± 0.4 nm). The detailed structural analysis by using transmission electron microscopy reveals periodic alignment of the resultant titania nanocrystals with hexagonal symmetry due to their size uniformity. The drop-casting deposition and calcination of these nanocrystals are also enable to convert into mesoporous thin layer films with nano convex-concave surface. The resultant transparent mesoporous thin layer exhibits not only anti-reflection properties but also high photocatalytic activity.