Study of the structural, morphological and electric characteristics of TiO2 nano-powders

Titania (TiO2) has been widely studied because of its unique optical and chemical properties in catalysis, photocatalysis and nonlinear optics. This material crystallizes mainly in anatase or rutile phase and exhibits different physical and chemical properties. It is well-known that the anatase phase is suitable for catalysts and supports, while the rutile phase is used for optical and electronic purposes due to its high dielectric constant and high refractive index Several methods of chemical synthesis have been developed and used to prepare thin films. Amongst the alternative methods, the Pechini method has been used successfully for the preparation of several types of materials. In this work, nanopowders of titanium oxide were prepared through the heat-treatment of metallic polymeric resin prepared by the polymeric precursor method (Pechini method). The resin was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the powders by, X-ray diffraction (DRX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Dielectric measurements were performed in function of the frequency at room temperature.