Solid state synthesis and structural characterization of zinc titanates

•Zinc titanates materials were synthesized via solid state sintering process.•XRD measurements reveal the formation of Zn2TiO4, hexagonal ZnTiO3 and ZnO phases.•IR analysis provokes the presence of TiO stretching vibration bands.•Raman study provokes the appearance of new zinc titanates vibrational peaks.•The TiO2 effect into ZnO is sensed by the shift and intensity changes of peaks.

Zinc titanate composite materials were synthesized via solid state sintering process using high-purity metal oxide powders (purity ∼99.99%). The titanium incorporation into ZnO matrix was investigated by X-ray diffraction which revealed the coexistence of spinel Zn2TiO4 and hexagonal ZnTiO3 with the ZnO wurtzite structures. No reflection peaks of rutile TiO2 phase were detected. The IR spectroscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy were used to characterize the structural and chemical properties of the ZnO/TiO2 composites. The IR bands and vibrational modes of all crystalline phases were detected. The effect of TiO2 doping rates (x = 3, 5 and 7 wt%) on bands shifting, Raman intensity and structural quality was discussed.