Influence of the Oxygen Concentration on the Formation of Crystalline Phases of TiO2 during the Low-Pressure Arc-Discharge Plasma Synthesis

Abstract

The synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with different percentage of anatase and rutile phases is investigated. The synthesis is performed by controlling the oxygen percentage in the gas mixture in the plasmachemical evaporation–condensation process employing a low-pressure arc discharge. In all our experiments, the pressure in the plasmachemical reactor and the average size of particles remain constant and are 60 Pa and 6 nm, respectively. The crystal structure of synthesized TiO2 is studied using X-ray diffraction; the morphology of the particles is analyzed employing transmission electron microscopy. Using X-ray phase analysis, it is established that the concentration of the TiO2 anatase phase decreases upon a decrease in the oxygen concentration in the gas mixture. It is shown that the TiO2 anatase phase is more efficient for photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue than the rutile phase.