Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles through the Gel Combustion process

Nanosized titania particles have been synthesized through the Gel Combustion process. The synthesis was carried out by starting from a common and low-cost titanium precursor and hydrogen peroxide as combustible substance. The process led to a significant gas development and the as-synthesized nanoparticles showed a low degree of crystallinity and mean dimension of 20 nm. Different thermal treatments were performed so as to investigate their effect on the structural properties and on the particle size of the synthesized products. The optimal temperature was set at 300 °C, giving pure anatase TiO₂ nanopowders with a good level of crystallinity, an average particle size of 50 nm and a high value of specific surface area.