Structural, textural, and electronic properties of a nanosized mesoporous ZnxTi1-xO2-) solid solution prepared by a supercritical drying route.

Mesoporous nanosized TiO2 and Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution having a Zn content below 10 mol % with a particles size between 13 and 17 nm are prepared by a template-free sol-gel method followed by high-temperature supercritical drying in 2-propanol. The structural, textural, and electronic properties of the obtained nanomaterials are methodically investigated by using XRD, SEM, TEM, ED, HREM, EDX, ICP-OES, N(2) adsorption-desorption, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. It is shown that the proposed synthesis technique leads to the formation of a Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution based on the anatase crystal structure rather than a two-phase sample.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of nanorods of various titanates and titanium dioxide.

The formation process of titania based nanorods during hydrothermal synthesis starting from an amorphous TiO2.nH2O gel has been investigated. Sodium tri-titanate (Na2Ti3O7) particles with a rodlike morphology were prepared by a simple hydrothermal process in the presence of a concentrated NaOH aqueous solution.