Synthesis, characterization, and photostability of manganese-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the effect of manganese content

Pure and Mn-doped TiO₂ particles with rutile phase were prepared from a polymeric precursor derived from the Pechini method. The effect of Mn doping on the crystalline structure and optical properties of TiO₂ was characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and colorimetry. The change in the color of TiO₂ particles with the dopant concentration is associated with the change in the crystal field around the chromophore ions. The UV absorption of TiO₂ remained unchanged with manganese incorporation, and attenuation of the photocatalytic effect in dye decomposition under UV illumination was observed for the Mn-doped samples. Owing to their high photostability and different hues in similarity with different skin phototypes, these materials can serve as UV absorbers for sunscreen application. (paper)