Synthesis of nanosized rutile TiO 2 powder at low temperature

Abstract

Nanosized rutile TiO 2 powder has been synthesized by hydrolysis of Ti(OC 4H 9) 4 solution at 40–50 °C. When the solution is neutral and basic, the hydrolysis product is a precipitate and the dried precipitate is amorphous. The rutile TiO 2 cannot be obtained even when the dried precipitate is calcined at 600 °C. When the solution is acidic, the hydrolysis product is a sol. The ratio of Ti(OC 4H 9) 4 to water and HNO 3 has a great effect on the formation of TiO 2. For a fixed ratio of water to Ti(OC 4H 9) 4, the ratio of HNO 3 to Ti(OC 4H 9) 4 should be in a reasonable range in order to obtain the rutile TiO 2 by drying the gel at 40–50 °C. If the ratio of water to Ti(OC 4H 9) 4 increases, the ratio of HNO 3 to Ti(OC 4H 9) 4 should also be increased to get rutile TiO 2. The mean particle size of the rutile TiO 2 is about 50 nm even when the dried gel is calcined at 600 °C.