Anatase TiO2 and mixed M-Anatase TiO2 (M = CeO2 or ZrO2) nano powder: Synthesis and characterization

Pure Anatase Titania (TiO2), mixed 1.0 wt.% Cerium-Anatase Titania (1.0 wt.%CeO2-TiO2), and mixed 1.0 wt.% Zirconia-Anatase Titania (1.0 wt.%ZrO2-TiO2) nano powders were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) technique. The characterization results indicated that the crystal powders of the synthesized TiO2-based material were estimated nanometer in size and predominantly in the form of anatase with good crystalline nature. The grain sizes of the powders were observed in the range of 7.65 – 12.56 nm. The presence of the CeO2 and ZrO2 in TiO2 matrix has shifted the adsorption edge to higher wavelength region (red shift) in addition to increase the BET specific surface area. This study indicated that the CeO2 and ZrO2 demonstrated a beneficial effect on the structural and optical properties of TiO2.