Fast synthesis of monodisperse TiO2 submicrospheres via a modified sol-gel approach

Monodisperse titania glycolate submicrospheres were synthesized by a modified sol-gel route, in which ultrasonic treatment was introduced to improve the reaction efficiency. The as-prepared products were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the as-prepared products are titania glycolate submicrospheres with diameters of 230-330 nm. The average particle diameter is estimated to be about 280 nm. Ultrasonic treatment has an important influence on the morphology of the produced titania glycolates. After calcination at 450°C for 2 h, these titania glycolates were completely converted into anatase TiO2. The morphology of TiO2 particles was well reserved during the calcination process except for a reduction of 18% in the average particle size.