Effect of hydroxy and carboxy groups on anisotropic growth of rutile-type titania under hydrothermal conditions

Control of crystal growth leads to highly functional materials with desired morphologies. In this study, the relationship between select additives and the crystal growth of rutile-type titania under hydrothermal conditions using α-hydroxy acids, carboxylic acids, or alcohols as additives was systematically investigated. Without additives, rod-like rutile crystals with average dimensions of 295 nm × 67 nm were formed. Acceleration of the crystal growth was observed and the aspect ratios of the resulting rod-like crystals were found to increase in the presence of the additives. Alcohols promoted crystal growth along the c-axis, but not in the direction to perpendicular to [001]. Carboxylic acids accelerated the overall crystal growth and this increase was more enhanced along the c-axis than that along others. Both effects were observed using α-hydroxy acids. In addition, the present results implied that the size of the hydrocarbon groups in alcohols and α-hydroxy acids appeared to be related to the acceleration of crystal growth along the c-axis. Hydroxy groups may reduce the surface energy of the crystal facets perpendicular to the c-axis by their adsorption on those facets, resulting in the formation of rod-like crystals with high aspect ratio.