Preparation and phase transformation of anatase-rutile crystals in metal doped TiO2/muscovite nanocomposites

Nanometer titanium dioxide (TiO2) films were deposited on muscovite flakes and doped with a number of different metal ions (Al3+, Sn4+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+ or Zn2+) using a chemical liquid deposition method. The morphology and the anatase-rutile (A-R) transformation were studied by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Apart from round particles, SEM micrographs show that euhedral pillar rutile grains are found in the samples doped with Fe3+, Mn2+ or Zn2+ ions. The rutile phase of TiO2 thin layers on muscovite could be generated at low temperature, 60 °C. The XRD results confirm that the addition of metal ions affects the anatase-rutile (A-R) transformation. The Mn2+, Sn4+, Fe3+ and Zn2+ ions promote the A-R transformation while the Al3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ ions inhibit the A-R transformation of TiO2 thin layers on muscovite. The influence of metal ion doping on the A-R transformation of the TiO2 thin layers on muscovite depends on the substitution of foreign ions for Ti4+ ions in TiO2 thin layers.