One Step Sol-Gel Synthesis and Morphostructural Characterization of Sodium Titanate Particles

¹ National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection, Bucharest, Romania
² Sustainable Environment Research Group (SERG), Centre of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology (Cegeogtech), Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Jejawi, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: dkrcontrol@yahoo.com

Abstract

Titanate-based materials are attractive inorganic adsorbents for wastewater treatment but also could be used as high performances ceramics. In this study, platelets and wires like morphologies of sodium titanate were successfully synthesized via an unconventional sol-gel method, starting with titanium tetrachloride, TiCl4 and sodium hydroxide, NaOH precursors, and coupled with hydrothermal maturation at 160°C for 24h. Afterwards, through an alkaline hydrothermal maturation, this intermediate phase gradually converted into a sodium titanate with a preserved morphology. The powder thus obtained, was compositionally characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), structural properties were highlighted by imaging through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermogravimetric measurements were carried out to determine the transformations that occur between 25-1000 °C. It is shown that a mix of two titanate phase Na₂Ti_nO_2n+1 with n = 3 and 6 was obtained, having wires and platelet like morphology and micron sizes particles, with a crystallite size of 22 nm grown on Miller indices plane (200). This work was designed to improve the production yield by using an unconventional titanate synthesis method and precursors.