Titanium brookite, synthesis

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Brookite. Typically, NaOH solution (2M) was added to 5 mL titanium tetrachloride with stirring to adjust the pH value of the solution to 10, producing a basic colloidal solution. The solution obtained was transferred into an autoclave and heated at 200°C for 24 h. The white precipitates were separated by centrifugation and washed three times with deionized water and once with ethanol. The product was dried at 70°C in air overnight and was ground to a fine powder before the deposition of gold precursor on its surface. 

Tomita K, Petrykin V, Kobayashi M, Shiro M, Yoshimura M, Kakihana MA (2006) Water-soluble titanium complex for the selective synthesis of nanocrystaUine brookite, rutile, and anatase by a hydrothermal method. Angew Chem Int Edit 118 2438-2441... 

Because of its many applications, a few attempts are known in which ultrasonic waves have been applied for the synthesis of nanosized titania. Yu and coworkers [126] discovered a novel method for preparing highly photoactive nano-sized Ti02 photocatalysts with anatase and brookite phases. The method has been developed by hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide in pure water or a 1 1 Et0H H20 solution under ultrasonic irradiation the photocatalytic activity of Ti02 particles prepared by this method exceeded that of Degussa P25. 

Titanium (IV) oxide crystallizes In three modifications of decreasing stability rutile, anatase and brookite. Whether the synthesis of brookite has been achieved is still in doubt. Anatase is formed via the hydrolysis of Ti halides at not too high a temperature (600°C) or via low-temperature calcining ( 700°C) of precipitated titanic acid. The lattice is stabilized by adsorbed anions, among which the most effective are sulfate and phosphate. Pure TiOg calcined at high temperature always yields the rutile lattice. 

Titanium oxide nanostructures have versatile applications, for example, in photocatalysis, solar-energy conversion, sensors, and ductile ceramics. The synthesis of derivatives with all kinds of size and shape (spherical particles, nanotubes, and nanorods) has been described in numerous studies. Out of the three main titanium polymorphs (anatase, brookite, rutile), research so far has been centred on the synthesis of anatase nanoparticles. However, recently the generation of nanometer-sized rutile has received growing attention due to its promising potential as a photocatalyst and as an electrode material. 

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