Potato starch assisted sodium hydrogen titanium oxide/titanium dioxide nanostructures and annealing effects

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2022-02, Vol.128 (2), Article 163
• Main Authors: Chandrika, M., Ravindra, A. V., Rajesh, Ch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatase; Annealing; Applied physics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Emission spectra; Functional groups; Hydrogen; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Morphology; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Potatoes; Processes; Reducing agents; Sodium; Surfaces and Interfaces; Surfactants; Thin Films; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; Titanium oxides
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-022-05286-6

Sodium hydrogen titanium oxide (SHTO)/anatase titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanostructures have been obtained via co-precipitation in the absence or presence of the surfactant (potato starch) by using TTIP as the titanium source and NaOH as the reducing agent, followed by annealing at temperatures 500 and 800 °C for 5 h. The XRD results confirm sodium hydrogen titanium oxide (SHTO) and anatase TiO 2 phases with related functional groups as indicated by the FTIR. FESEM observations establish a morphology of sphere-like for the as-prepared, sheet/scale, and tubular like, respectively, for 500 °C annealed samples prepared in the absence and presence of potato starch, while only the rod-like for samples annealed at 800 °C. UV-DRS studies reveal that the samples have a bandgap of ~3.2 eV while the PL spectra demonstrate near band edge emission or direct excitonic transitions dominant in the UV region and oxygen defect transitions in the visible region. The quenching of intensity endorses less recombination rate in samples obtained in the presence of potato starch surfactant. The influence of surfactant and annealing is also evident in terms of the change in morphology and crystallinity of the samples. The outcomes of this work give a scope to explore more on the influence of synthesis and annealing conditions on the properties of SHTO/TiO 2 nanostructures.