Characterization of pure anatase TiO2 nano rods synthesized by microwave method

In this work, pure anatase TiO2 nano rods were prepared using the microwave method as an effective, low cost, and rapid method. To study the effect of the microwave power on the specific surface area, the particle size, and the morphology of the prepared samples, three different powers were used for the synthesis process. Ethylene Glycol (EG, 99.8%) was used as a solvent, while titanium isopropoxide(TTIP) was used as TiO2 precursor. A commercial microwave oven was used and 5 min was selected as a duration of the preparation time. The prepared specimens were annealed at 400 °C for 1h. In the present work, diverse techniques were used to study the structure and the morphology of the prepared samples. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) revealed the synthesis of pure anatase (TiO2) nanoparticles. Brunaner- Emmett-Teller (BET) technique showed a high specific surface area. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX) revealed that the TiO2 samples were nano rods -like shape. Fourier Transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the vibration patterns in the spectrum of the samples, indicating the formation of O-Ti-O. The performance of the prepared samples for water treatment was studied using a standard photo catalytic degradation experiment.