Chemistry Letters, Vol.33, No.10, 1382-1383, 2004
Crystallization process of TiO2 nanoparticles in an acidic solution
Hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide followed by condensation at 30degreesC yields amorphous TiO2. Addition of nitric acid for peptization greatly accelerates the rate of amorphous to anatase conversion, resulting in an anatase with locally imperfect atomic structure. Further conversion to rutile in acidic solution has been observed and a plausible phase transformation process has been postulated.