Hydrothermal Synthesis of TiO2 Hollow Nanospheres via Self-Assembly Process

Abstract

One-step self-assembly process was proposed to synthesize anatase TiO₂ hollow nanospheres from octadecyltrimethoxysilane and tetrabutyl titanate at 120 ºC. The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The morphology and size of the as-prepared sample can be adjusted by varying the temperature and the amount of octadecyltrimethoxysilane. Octadecyltrimethoxysilane plays a key role in the formation of hollow nanospheres of anatase TiO₂. In particular, the as-synthesized TiO₂ hollow nanospheres will be of great importance due to their potential applications in photocatalysis, drug delivery, separations and cell targeting, etc.