Structural, textural, and electronic properties of a nanosized mesoporous ZnxTi1-xO2-) solid solution prepared by a supercritical drying route.
Mesoporous nanosized TiO2 and Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution having a Zn content below 10 mol % with a particles size between 13 and 17 nm are prepared by a template-free sol-gel method followed by high-temperature supercritical drying in 2-propanol. The structural, textural, and electronic properties of the obtained nanomaterials are methodically investigated by using XRD, SEM, TEM, ED, HREM, EDX, ICP-OES, N(2) adsorption-desorption, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. It is shown that the proposed synthesis technique leads to the formation of a Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution based on the anatase crystal structure rather than a two-phase sample. High-resolution electron microscopy and electron diffraction indicate that the distribution of zinc atoms over the anatase structure does not lead to a considerable deformation of the crystal structure.
Kolen'ko
Yury V
YV
Materials and Structures Laboratory (Center for Materials Design), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan. kolenko@msl.titech.ac.jp
Kovnir
Kirill A
KA
Gavrilov
Anton I
AI
Garshev
Alexei V
AV
Meskin
Pavel E
PE
Churagulov
Bulat R
BR
Bouchard
Michel
M
Colbeau-Justin
Christophe
C
Lebedev
Oleg I
OI
Van Tendeloo
Gustaaf
G
Yoshimura
Masahiro
M