Influences of saturation ratios on crystallization of anatase titanium dioxide by a titanium alkoxide hydrolysis

Influences of supersaturation in a tetraethyl orthotitanate (TEOT) solution on the degree of crystallinity of product particles in the case of a hydrolysis reaction of TEOT were indicated and the crystallization phenomena of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) were discussed. Changes in saturation ratios with experimental durations were examined for the various amount of acetylacetone added into a TEOT solution. At the initial stages of TEOT hydrolysis operations, the degree of crystallinity of product particles was lower for the longer hydrolysis durations but the degrees became almost constant in the later stages of TEOT hydrolysis operations, although the supersaturation of titanium oxide in a TEOT solution was remained. Rapid increase in supersaturation of titanium oxide in a TEOT solution and consequent nucleation of amorphous titanium oxide would be restrained by addition of acetylacetone into a TEOT solution because the concentrations of titanium oxide in a saturated TEOT solution increased with the amount of acetylacetone.