Synthesis of nanosized Y-type TiOPc by a high gravity method

Abstract

Oxotitanium phthalocyanine (TiOPc) is an ideal photoconductive material and electrophotographic photoreceptor since it exhibits remarkable absorption and photosensitivity properties in the visible and near-infrared wavelength region, which lead to the generation of free carriers with a high quantum yield [1]. It was reported that Y-type TiOPc had the most excellent photosensitive properties among five typical crystal forms of TiOPc [2–7]. In conventional routes, TiOPc of other crystal forms are usually synthesized and then transformed to Y-type TiOPc by processes such as thermomechanical, solvent, acid treatment and mechanical grinding. Solvent treatment is preferred among these processes due to its convenience and high efficiency where TiOPc is subjected to crystal transformation in the presence of water, aromatic compounds, alcohol, ketone, ether and their derivatives. Since Chen et al. [8] reported that photoconductivity of TiOPc depended on particle size, many works have been directed to obtaining nanosized Y-type TiOPc by different methods. In this paper, Y-type TiOPc is synthesized under high gravity environment created by a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor, which can greatly intensify micromixing and mass transfer between fluids. Advantages of the high gravity method in synthesizing nanosized inorganic materials have been reported in our previous works [9, 10].