Solvothermal Synthesis of titanium dioxide
Encyclopedia
Solvothermal synthesis is a method of producing chemical compound
s. It is very similar to the hydrothermal
route (where the synthesis is conducted in a stainless steel autoclave
), the only difference being that the precursor solution is usually not aqueous (however, this is not always the case in all literature uses of the expression). Using the solvothermal route gains one the benefits of both the sol-gel and hydrothermal routes. Thus solvothermal synthesis allows for the precise control over the size, shape distribution, and crystallinity of metaloxide nanoparticles or nanostructures. These characteristics can be altered by changing certain experimental parameters, including reaction temperature, reaction time, solvent type, surfactant type, and precursor type.
Solvothermal synthesis has been used in laboratory to make nanostructured titanium dioxide, graphene
, carbon and other materials.
The high photocatalytic capacity of TiO2 leads to the degradation of organic and biological molecules into smaller and less harmful compounds. Because of their small size, TiO2 nanostructures also provide increased surface area at which photocatalytic reactions may occur, increasing their activity. This photocatalytic activity may be applied to air purification, self-sterilization, water purification and molecular hydrogen production. Thus the ability of solvothermal synthesis to precisely tailor TiO2 nanostructures has the potential to maximize the efficiency of those nanostructures in applications.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
s. It is very similar to the hydrothermal
Hydrothermal synthesis
Hydrothermal synthesis includes the various techniques of crystallizing substances from high-temperature aqueous solutions at high vapor pressures; also termed "hydrothermal method". The term "hydrothermal" is of geologic origin. Geochemists and mineralogists have studied hydrothermal phase...
route (where the synthesis is conducted in a stainless steel autoclave
Autoclave
An autoclave is an instrument used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam at 121 °C for around 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the load and the contents. It was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879, although a precursor known as the...
), the only difference being that the precursor solution is usually not aqueous (however, this is not always the case in all literature uses of the expression). Using the solvothermal route gains one the benefits of both the sol-gel and hydrothermal routes. Thus solvothermal synthesis allows for the precise control over the size, shape distribution, and crystallinity of metaloxide nanoparticles or nanostructures. These characteristics can be altered by changing certain experimental parameters, including reaction temperature, reaction time, solvent type, surfactant type, and precursor type.
Solvothermal synthesis has been used in laboratory to make nanostructured titanium dioxide, graphene
Graphene
Graphene is an allotrope of carbon, whose structure is one-atom-thick planar sheets of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. The term graphene was coined as a combination of graphite and the suffix -ene by Hanns-Peter Boehm, who described single-layer...
, carbon and other materials.
The high photocatalytic capacity of TiO2 leads to the degradation of organic and biological molecules into smaller and less harmful compounds. Because of their small size, TiO2 nanostructures also provide increased surface area at which photocatalytic reactions may occur, increasing their activity. This photocatalytic activity may be applied to air purification, self-sterilization, water purification and molecular hydrogen production. Thus the ability of solvothermal synthesis to precisely tailor TiO2 nanostructures has the potential to maximize the efficiency of those nanostructures in applications.