Effect of Schiff base ligand on the size and the optical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles

The effect of a Schiff-base ligand (N,N′-ethylenebis(acetylacetone iminato)dianion = acacen) on size and optical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles in a two-step sol-gel method was investigated. Different amounts of Schiff-base ligand were applied and the as-prepared products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, Electron Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Molecular orbital structure of acacen was calculated by density functional theory (DFT) in order to determine the exact orbital energies and electron transfer pathways. The results demonstrated that applying the appropriate amount of Schiff-base ligand could be effective in particle size control.