Fabrication of Pure and Ag-doped TiO₂ Nanorods and Study of the Lattice Strain and the Activation Energy of the Crystalline Phases

Fabrication of Pure and Ag-doped TiO₂ Nanorods and Study of the Lattice Strain and the Activation Energy of the Crystalline Phases

TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods can be used as dye-sensitized solar cells, various sensor and photocatalysts. These nanorods are synthesized by a thermal corrosion process in NaOH solution at 200<SUP> o</SUP>C using TiO<SUB>2</SUB> powder as a source material. In the present work, the synthesis of TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods in anatase, rutile and Ti<SUB>8</SUB>O<SUB>15</SUB> phases and synthesis of TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods by incorporating with silver and silver oxide dopant, using the sol-gel method and alkaline corrosion are reported. The morphologies and crystalline structures of the TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods are characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tunneling electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) techniques. The obtained results show an aggregation structure at high calcination temperatures with spherical particles and Ti-O-Ti, Ti-O and Ag-O bonds are formed. The effects of chemical compositions and calcinations temperature on the surface topography, lattice strain and the crystallization of phases are studied. The activation energy (E) of nanoparticles formation in pure state during thermal treatment is calculated.

TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods can be used as dye-sensitized solar cells, various sensor and photocatalysts. These nanorods are synthesized by a thermal corrosion process in NaOH solution at 200<SUP> o</SUP>C using TiO<SUB>2</SUB> powder as a source material. In the present work, the synthesis of TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods in anatase, rutile and Ti<SUB>8</SUB>O<SUB>15</SUB> phases and synthesis of TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods by incorporating with silver and silver oxide dopant, using the sol-gel method and alkaline corrosion are reported. The morphologies and crystalline structures of the TiO<SUB>2</SUB> nanorods are characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tunneling electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) techniques. The obtained results show an aggregation structure at high calcination temperatures with spherical particles and Ti-O-Ti, Ti-O and Ag-O bonds are formed. The effects of chemical compositions and calcinations temperature on the surface topography, lattice strain and the crystallization of phases are studied. The activation energy (E) of nanoparticles formation in pure state during thermal treatment is calculated.