Synthesis of shape and size controlled titanium dioxide particles

In this study, shape and size controlled anatase titanium dioxide powders were produced via solvothermal synthesis route on the basis of solvent-controlled approach. TiO2 powders having different particle morphologies were synthesized by using glycerol organic solvent and three different starting titanium sources. Titanium glycerolate (TiGly) structure which is a metal-organic complex, was obtained via dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism as a result of the chemical reaction occurred at 260°C synthesis temperature between amorphous titanium oxy-hydroxide (TiO(OH)2) powder and glycerol solvent. Otherwise commercial TiOSO4.xH2O and anatase TiO2 starting powders did not interact with glycerol due to their high degree of crystallinity. It was clearly presented that the glycerol solvent should be deprotonated, while the starting titanium source should dissociate to provide shape and size controlled synthesis of titanium dioxide particles. With the formation of TiGly structure, transparent, polycrystalline rod-like anatase powders (5-9 ?m x ~ 350 nm) composed of nano-sized primary particles with an average size of 30.8 nm were produced. Besides effects of the processing parameters including synthesis temperature, synthesis time and stirring speed on phase development and particle morphology were investigated as a part of the rod-like particle synthesis.