Influence of additives on size and porosity in the synthesis of uniform TiO₂ Nanoparticles

Abstract

Monodisperse spherical titania particles of variable sizes are produced in a sol-gel synthesis from Ti(EtO)₄ in ethanol with addition of a salt or a polymer solution. The influence of different salt ions or polymer molecules on the size and on the size distribution of the final particles was investigated. The amorphous hydrous titania particles were characterized by electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, ¹H-MAS-NMR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electrophoresis. Nitrogen absorption measurements revealed that the addition of polymers yields hollow and porous titania colloids.

Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge the help of M. Hartl (University of Hannover) for the EXAFS measurements, M. Piech (University of Yale) for the AFM picture and Dr. Habil H. Koller (Universty of Münster) for the ¹H MAS NMR measurements. We gratefully acknowledge access to characterization techniques in the groups of Prof. Felsche, Prof. Scheer, Prof. Leiderer and Prof. Rathmayer. This work was performed with financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SPP 1113, MA 817/5–3 University of Konstanz).