A one-step method for continuous large-scale synthesis of well-defined hollow titania spheres was established by feeding titanium tetrachloride mixed with ethanol vapor to a facile diffusion flame. A mixture of TiCl4 ...A one-step method for continuous large-scale synthesis of well-defined hollow titania spheres was established by feeding titanium tetrachloride mixed with ethanol vapor to a facile diffusion flame. A mixture of TiCl4 and C2H5OH vapor was transported at 100 m/s into a flame reactor and condensed into mesoscale droplets due to Joule-Thomson cooling and the entrainment of cool gases into the expanding high-speed jet. Hollow crystalline TiO2 spheres with good thermal stability were formed after the hydrolysis of TiCl4 in the H2/air flame at about 1500℃. Structural characterization indicates that the hollow spheres, with uniform diameter of 300 nm and shell thickness of 35 rim, consist of 20-30 nm TiO2 nanocrystallites. A formation mechanism of the hollow spheres was proposed, involving the competition between chemical reaction and diffusion during the flame process. The present study provides a new pathway for continuous and large-scale engineering of hollow nanomaterials.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20925621, 20706015, 20906027)the Program of Shanghai Subject Chief Scientist (08XD1401500)+2 种基金the Shanghai Shuguang Scholars Tracking Program (08GG09)the Special Projects for Key Laboratories in Shanghai (09DZ2202000)the Special Projects for Nanotechnology of Shanghai (0852nm02000,0952nm02100)
文摘A one-step method for continuous large-scale synthesis of well-defined hollow titania spheres was established by feeding titanium tetrachloride mixed with ethanol vapor to a facile diffusion flame. A mixture of TiCl4 and C2H5OH vapor was transported at 100 m/s into a flame reactor and condensed into mesoscale droplets due to Joule-Thomson cooling and the entrainment of cool gases into the expanding high-speed jet. Hollow crystalline TiO2 spheres with good thermal stability were formed after the hydrolysis of TiCl4 in the H2/air flame at about 1500℃. Structural characterization indicates that the hollow spheres, with uniform diameter of 300 nm and shell thickness of 35 rim, consist of 20-30 nm TiO2 nanocrystallites. A formation mechanism of the hollow spheres was proposed, involving the competition between chemical reaction and diffusion during the flame process. The present study provides a new pathway for continuous and large-scale engineering of hollow nanomaterials.
