Characterization of ZnO-TiO2 and zinc titanate nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal process

Solutions containing zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O) and potassium titanium oxalate dihydrate (C4K2O9Ti center dot 2H(2)O) with different molar ratios of Zn:Ti at a pH of 10 were hydrothermally processed at 120, 160, and 200 A degrees C to form ZnO-anatase, ZnO-anatase-rutile and ZnO-rutile nanocomposites. Upon subsequent calcination the precursors at high temperatures, ZnTiO3, Zn2TiO4 , and Zn2Ti3O8 nanoparticles were synthesized. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy revealed the existence of nanocomposites and nanoparticles with strong emission at 386 nm for Zn2TiO4 and Zn2Ti3O8 and at 370 nm for ZnTiO3.