Synthesis, Physical and Morphological Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles by Wet Chemical Method for Catalytic Applications

Abstract

TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using wet chemical technique and characterized with the help of XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, FT-IR, and UV-Vis analyses. TiO2 samples were studied by XRD to find out their crystal phase as well as its grain size. The prepared amorphous TiO2 nanoparticles were dried first and then sintered at elevated temperatures. Peak intensity of the anatase TiO2 increases with increase in temperature. Higher calcination temperature leads to the formation of a mixture of anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2. Metal oxide features were observed in FT-IR spectra. SEM analysis was used to examine the surface morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles. TEM studies reveal that the particles are spherical in shape and agglomerated. Specific surface area of the nanocrystals was studied with the help of BET analysis. Photo catalytic activity of the nanoparticles was investigated with the help of UV-Vis spectrophotometer using methylene blue dye and the results are discussed.