Anatase TiO2 and mixed M-Anatase TiO2 (M = CeO2 or ZrO2) nano powder: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Pure Anatase Titania (TiO₂), mixed 1.0 wt.% Cerium-Anatase Titania (1.0 wt.%CeO₂-TiO₂), and mixed 1.0 wt.% Zirconia-Anatase Titania (1.0 wt.%ZrO₂-TiO₂) nano powders were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) technique. The characterization results indicated that the crystal powders of the synthesized TiO₂-based material were estimated nanometer in size and predominantly in the form of anatase with good crystalline nature. The grain sizes of the powders were observed in the range of 7.65 – 12.56 nm. The presence of the CeO₂ and ZrO₂ in TiO₂matrix has shifted the adsorption edge to higher wavelength region (red shift) in addition to increase the BET specific surface area. This study indicated that the CeO₂ and ZrO₂ demonstrated a beneficial effect on the structural and optical properties of TiO₂.