Stereospecific growth of densely populated rutile mesoporousTiO2 nanoplate films: a facile low temperature chemical synthesis approach

Abstract

We report for the first time, using a simple and environmentally benign chemicalmethod, the low temperature synthesis of densely populated upright-standing rutileTiO2 nanoplate films onto a glass substrate from a mixture of titanium trichloride,hydrogen peroxide and thiourea in triply distilled water. The rutileTiO2 nanoplate films (the phase is confirmed from x-ray diffraction analysis, selected area electrondiffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, and Raman shift) are 20–35 nm wide and100–120 nm long. The chemical reaction kinetics for the growth of these upright-standingTiO2 nanoplate films is alsointerpreted. Films of TiO2 nanoplates are optically transparent in the visible region with a sharp absorption edge closeto 350 nm, confirming an indirect band gap energy of 3.12 eV. The Brunauer–Emmet–Tellersurface area, Barret–Joyner–Halenda pore volume and pore diameter, obtained fromN2 physisorptionstudies, are 82 m2 g − 1, 0.0964 cm3 g − 1 and 3.5 nm, respectively, confirming the mesoporosity of scratched rutileTiO2 nanoplate powder that would be ideal for the direct fabrication of nanoscaled devicesincluding upcoming dye-sensitized solar cells and gas sensors.