Temperature and Reaction Time Effects on the Structural Properties of Titanium Dioxide Nanopowders Obtained via the Hydrothermal Method

An investigation was carried out on the synthesis of titanium dioxide nanopowders via the hydrothermal method, examining the influence of temperature (150oC and 200oC) and reaction time (6 to 36 h). The resulting powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption spectrophotometry, transmission electron micrographs and surface area. The X-ray diffraction revealed that there was formation of a pure crystalline phase, consisting only of anatase for all conditions of synthesis. Both temperature and reaction time proved to have a slight influence on the crystallite size (from 9 to 17 nm) and a significant influence on the surface area (from 86 to 168 m.g).