Critical nuclei size, initial particle size and packing effect on the phase stability of sol-peptization-gel-derived nanostructured titania.

The influence of the initial particle size and packing of anatase crystallites on the phase stability of nanostructured titania was investigated. Dried anatase gels with different degrees of particle packing were prepared through the peptization-induced electrostatic stabilization of primary particles in the sol. The initial size of anatase primary particles was varied by precalcination prior to the anatase-rutile phase transformation that occurred during final calcination. In the case of well-packed titania, the initial size of anatase primary particles does not influence the phase-transformation behavior whereas loosely packed titania shows a strong initial anatase primary particle size dependence on the phase-transformation behavior.