Structural and morphological characterization of TiO2 powders prepared using Pechini and combustion reaction

TiO2 is a semiconductor oxide and polymorphic and can exist in three crystallographic forms: anatase, rutile and broquita, and forms anatase and rutile are the major interests in scientific research. Thus, this study aims to synthesize TiO2 by Pechini methods and combustion reaction and to evaluate the influence of synthesis methods in structural and morphological characteristics of the samples. The nanopowders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, and particle size distribution and scanning electron microscopy. The results of X-ray diffraction showed that the samples obtained by the Pechini method showed the single phase anatase with crystallite size of 20 nm and surface area of 49.44 m2/g, whereas the samples synthesized by combustion reaction using glycine as fuel showed the rutile phase as major phase and traces of anatase phase, with crystallite size of 65 nm and surface area 4.34 m2/g. (author)