Alcohol Rinsing and Crystallization Behavior of Precipitated Titanium Oxide

In our present study, the effects of alcohol washing on the crystallization behavior of precipitated titanium oxide were investigated using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Alcohol rinsing of the precipitated titania powder having an amorphous hydrated form retarded its crystallization to the anatase phase. The crystallization temperature for 390 degrees C of nonrinsed (water-washed only) powder was increased to 467 degrees C with the alcohol rinse. The retardation was attributed to the formation of oxo-alkoxides on the particle surfaces. FT-IR analysis demonstrated that the alcohol-rinsed powder had a dehydration rate much lower than that of the nonrinsed powder as temperatures were increased. Therefore, it was suggested that the presence of oxo-alkoxides in the alcohol-rinsed powder decreased the dehydration rate, which, in turn, retarded crystallization to the anatase structure. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.