A simple non-aqueous route to anatase TiO2

High-yield nanocrystalline TiO2 was successfully synthesised using a simple one-step procedure in a non-aqueous system. The synthesis was carried out in a teflon-lined autoclave at a temperature as low as 100 degrees C using titanium n-butoxide (TB) and acetic acid (AcOH) as starting materials without any co-solvent/additive. The thus formed TiO2 was highly crystallised anatase TiO2. The possible formation mechanism was also proposed based on the FTIR spectra recorded during the various reaction stages. The synthetic method explored in this study might contribute to the preparation of other metal oxides. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008).