Controlling Crystallinity during Processing of Nanocrystalline Titania

Abstract

The present study shows that an extremely high water: alkoxide ratio during the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide results in a partially crystalline precipitate (5‐nm anatase crystallites); however, when these crystallites are rinsed with ethanol, the precipitate becomes amorphous. The degree of crystallinity of the precipitate determines its subsequent thermal decomposition characteristics and, ultimately, the crystallite size of the calcined powder.