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Posted: Feb 21, 2013

Titanium dioxide nanoreactor

(Nanowerk News) Tiny particles of titanium dioxide are found as key ingredients in wall paints, sunscreens, and toothpaste; they act as reflectors of light or as abrasives. However with decreasing particle size and a corresponding change in their surface-to-volume ratio, their properties change so that crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles acquire catalytic ability: Activated by the UV component in sunlight, they break down toxins or catalyze other relevant reactions.
Now, Dr. Katja Henzler and a team of chemists at the Helmholtz Centre Berlin have developed a synthesis to produce nanoparticles at room temperature in a polymer network (" Electronic Structure of Individual Hybrid Colloid Particles Studied by Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) Spectroscopy in the X-ray Microscope"). Their analysis, conducted at BESSY II, Berlin's synchrotron radiation source, has revealed the crystalline structure of the nanoparticles. This represents a major step forward in the usage of polymeric nanoreactors since, until recently, the nanoparticles had to be thoroughly heated to get them to crystallize. The last synthesis step can be spared due to the special environment inside the PNIPAM network.
titanium dioxide nanoparticles crystallize in a polymer network at room temperature
The titanium dioxide nanoparticles crystallize in a polymer network at room temperature.
"The nanocrystals have a tetragonal anatase structure and this crystalline structure is a key to their catalytic performance. Additionally, our new analytic method allows us to control the quality of the synthesized particles so that we can optimize them for relevant applications," says Katja Henzler.
Source: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
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