Low-temperature synthesis, enhanced reaction times and characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles by a microwave assisted sol-gel method for its application in green industry.

Abstract

In the present work, TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by the microwave-assisted sol-gel method and their link with the green industrial sector was evaluated. The synthesis was carried out without the presence of any catalyst or surfactant agent. The resulting products were subsequently dispersed using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium chloride (NaCl) as surfactant agents and ethyl alcohol as solvent (EtOH). The TiO2 dispersions were subsequently deposited on glass substrates as thin films using the spin coating technique. Through UV-Vis characterization a band gap energy of 3.9 eV was determined for the TiO2 nanoparticles; FTIR technique confirmed the presence of O-Ti-O bond characteristic of titanium dioxide; SEM results showed that nanoparticles morphology is spherical and their size is approximately 20 nm; EDS technique confirmed the presence of Ti and O elements present in analyzed nanoparticles samples; finally, through XRD technique, it was confirmed the presence of anatase phase for the TiO2 nanoparticles. Based on the information obtained through the bibliographic review and patent analysis, it was concluded that the materials reported here are a viable option for their application in wastewater treatment and developing solar cells, according to the resulting properties.