Morphological Control of Metal Oxides Prepared from Water-Soluble Complexes

Abstract

The liquid phase process for synthesis of inorganic materials has attracted much attention since it is an environmentally-friendly process. Water-soluble complexes have been developed as key precursors for aqueous phase synthesis of oxide materials. In this study, morphological control of titanate materials has been achieved by using organic additives. SrTiO₃ nanocubes were prepared from water-soluble Ti complex , oleic acid, and hydrazine by hydrothermal process. TiO₂ hollow capsules were prepared using polystyrene spheres as template. Water-soluble Ti complexes were deposited on templates by layer-by-layer assembly. After removal of templates, hydrothermal treatment was carried out for crystallization of TiO₂.