Preparation of Nano-TiO2 Using a Sol-Gel Process Mediated in Reverse Microemulsion Combined with a Solvent Thermal Technique

Anatase nano-titania (nano-TiO2) was prepared by using a sol-gel process mediated in reverse microemulsion combined with a solvent thermal technique. The results show that the anatase structure appears in the calcination temperature range of 400-510°C, while the transformation of anatase into rutile takes place above 510°C. The average particle size (dP) of the nano-TiO2 increases with the rise of water/Triton X-100 molar ratio (ω) but decreases with the rise of acetyl acetone/n-TBT molar ratio (p) and n-hexanol/Triton X-100 molar ratio (m). The obtained TiO2 particles with a small size have high photocatalytic activity.