Synthesis of single-phase anatase TiO2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal treatment with application potential for photoanode electrodes of dye sensitized solar cells

摘要

Pure anatase powders of titanium dioxide with a homogeneous nanosized particles distribution were prepared by a facile hydrothermal route using solution of acetic acid and tetraisopropyl orthotitanate as the precursors with a molar ratio of 1:1. The modified and hydrolyzed alkoxide was treated at various temperatures under different autogenic pressures. Two different reactors were employed as autoclaves for the heating and generation of high pressures during the synthesis and crystallization of TiO2 nanoparticles. The characteristics of TiO2 powders obtained under various synthesis conditions were verified by using of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results indicated that particles size of the formed TiO2 could be finely tuned by varying the experimental parameters of temperature, pressure and the amount of nitric acid in the peptization step. TiO2 nanoparticles with good dispersion and mean size of about 9 nm, which was approximately consistent with size obtained from XRD line broadening technique, could be seen in FE-SEM image of sample synthesized under temperature of 160 °C for 12 hrs by using of more nitric acid in the peptization step.