Synthesis, characterization, and photostability of manganese-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the effect of manganese content

Abstract

Pure and Mn-doped TiO2 particles with rutile phase were prepared from a polymeric precursor derived from the Pechini method. The effect of Mn doping on the crystalline structure and optical properties of TiO2 was characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and colorimetry. The change in the color of TiO2 particles with the dopant concentration is associated with the change in the crystal field around the chromophore ions. The UV absorption of TiO2 remained unchanged with manganese incorporation, and attenuation of the photocatalytic effect in dye decomposition under UV illumination was observed for the Mn-doped samples. Owing to their high photostability and different hues in similarity with different skin phototypes, these materials can serve as UV absorbers for sunscreen application.