Hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide in organic solvent at high temperatures: A new synthetic method for nanosized, thermally stable titanium(IV) oxide

Nanosized titanium(IV) oxide in the anatase form was synthesized by hydrolysis of titanium(IV) alkoxide in toluene with water that was dissolved from the gas phase at high temperatures (150-300 degrees C). With elevation of the reaction temperature and an increase of the reaction time, the crystallite size of the anatase was,gradually increased from several to ca. 20 nm in the present reaction medium. Corresponding to the crystal growth, surface areas of the products were decreased while the rutile-transformation temperature became higher and the thermal stability was improved. For example, the product obtained by the reaction at 300 degrees C for 24 h possessed a surface area of 54 m(2) g(-1) even after calcination at 900 degrees C and began to transform to the rutile phase at around 1000 degrees C.