Synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a promising material for many emerging applications. Even more promising are the benefits offered by the material when its length scale is reduced to the nanometer range. Nanomaterials usually exhibit unique properties resulting from either the extremely large surface area-to-volume ratio or the quantum confinement effect of energy carriers. In this article we present an overview of recent progress in the synthesis of TiO2 nanomaterials. The topics include synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, and mesoporous/nanoporous materials using different preparation approaches such as sol-gel, sol, hydrothermal, solvothermal, and vapor deposition. The applications of TiO2 nanomaterials are also briefly summarized.