Sonochemical preparation of TiO₂ nanoparticles

TiO₂ nanoparticles with mean diameter of about 20 nm, average crystallite size of 15 nm and BET specific surface area of 78.88 m²/g, were prepared through a simple sonochemical method and initial treatment in 10 M NaOH aqueous solution. XRD results exhibited that the obtained nanoparticles composed of pure rutile phase. During the initial treatment with NaOH aqueous solution, the Ti-O-Ti bonds in the TiO₆ octahedra structure of the raw material were broken, and new octahedras formed after ultrasonic irradiation. It is supposed that edge sharing was favored during ultrasonic treatment, leading to formation of the rutile nanoparticles.