Hydrothermal synthesis and gas sensing properties of different titanate nanostructures

Anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles and other three different morphologies of titanate nanostructures such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanowires were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. The structures and morphologies of the final products were characterized with field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Phase analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD). A novel formation mechanism from anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles to titanate nanowires is proposed based on FE-SEM. The gas sensing properties to ethanol were also investigated. The results indicate that nanotubes, nanosheets, nanowires show much less resistance and larger response than nanoparticles.