Versatility of Laser Pyrolysis Applied to the Synthesis of TiO₂ Nanoparticles – Application to UV Attenuation

TiO 2 nanoparticles show interesting catalytic and optical properties and are therefore highly demanded for several applications. In this paper, we show that pure and N‐doped TiO 2 powders with an average diameter as low as 8 nm can be synthesized by laser pyrolysis, with the use of an aerosol of TTIP (titanium tetraisopropoxide) as the main precursor sensitized by C 2 H 4 . We demonstrate the possibility to control the anatase/rutile phase ratio over a large range, which was not achieved before, by tuning the experimental parameters. N‐doped particles have also been produced for the first time by this method by using a one‐step process through addition of NH 3 . First results illustrating the consequences in terms of UV absorption properties are also presented and correlated with the structural evolution and the presence of a doping element.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)