Effect of organic gelator template and preparation method on the structure and morphology of nanosized polymorphic titanium oxide using the sol-gel process

The TiO ₂ nanoparticles of 25-30 nm or polymorphic TiO ₂ nanorods (anatase or rutile) with a diameter of 65-75 nm and a length of several micrometers were synthesized by the modified sol-gel template process. The obtained nanoparticles were uniform as suggested by the scanning and transmission electron microscopic (SEM and TEM) images; similarly, TiO ₂ nanorods obtained were of single anatase or of rutile phase after calcination at lower and higher temperatures, respectively, as characterized by X-ray diffraction.