Continuous flow synthesis of phase transition-resistant titania microparticles with tunable morphologies

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Titania microspheres are crucial for applications like catalysis and energy generation.
• Current synthesis methods yield limited morphologies and sizes.
• Developing versatile titania microsphere synthesis is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an intensified microfluidic strategy for continuous anatase titania microsphere synthesis.
• To explore the impact of precursor composition on morphology and surface area.
• To investigate the phase stability of synthesized titania microspheres under varying calcination conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an intensified microfluidic strategy with in-flow photo crosslinking.
• Employed a flow reactor and polar aprotic solvent for high precursor concentrations.
• Investigated morphological and surface area effects by varying precursor composition and calcination parameters.

Main Results:

• Achieved continuous synthesis of anatase titania microspheres with tunable sizes across two orders of magnitude.
• Produced diverse morphologies including hollow, yolk-shell, macroporous, and dense structures.
• Synthesized microspheres exhibited high surface areas (>350 m²/g) and maintained the anatase phase up to 900 °C.

Conclusions:

• The microfluidic approach provides unprecedented control over titania microsphere synthesis.
• The resulting diverse morphologies and high surface areas are ideal for advanced applications.
• The exceptional phase stability broadens the potential use of these titania microspheres in demanding environments.