Synthesis and Characterization of Fe Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles by a Sol-Gel and Hydrothermal Process

Abstract

Fe doped nanoparticles were prepared under high temperature and pressure conditions by mixture of metal nitrate solution and sol. Fe doped particles were reacted in the temperature range of 170 to for 6 h. The microstructure and phase of the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles were studied by SEM (FE-SEM), TEM, and XRD. Thermal properties of the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles were studied by TG-DTA analysis. TEM and X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles were crystalline. The average size and distribution of the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles were about 10 nm and narrow, respectively. The average size of the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles increased as the reaction temperature increased. The overall reduction in weight of Fe doped nanoparticles was about 16% up to ; water of crystallization was dehydrated at . The transition of Fe doped nanoparticle phase from anatase to rutile occurred at almost . The amount of rutile phase of the synthesized Fe doped nanoparticles increased with decreasing Fe concentration. The effects of synthesis parameters, such as the concentration of the starting solution and the reaction temperature, are discussed.