Experts from Germany synthesize the nanocrystalline titanium dioxide under room temperature

TiO2 is mostly used in white pigment in coatings, toothpaste, sunscreen cream. With the excellent opacity, it is also used as delustering agent for enamel. Recently, chemists from Helmholtz research center, Berlin developed a new synthetic route. They used a device called “nano polymer reactor” to prepare titanium dioxide nanocrystalline particles successfully. Utill now, TiO2 particles need to form crystal structure under high temperature. The core of the nano polymer reactor is polystyrene and the periphery is wrapped up by the net structure made from PNIPAM chain. Chemists put the polymer with this structure into a solution with ethanol as solvent, and add a kind of titanium compound to form the titanium dioxide particles. These particles adhere to the PNIPAM net well-distributed, orderly. Chemists can control the size and quality of the nanocrystalline by regulating the reaction rate. This also ensure the structure and catalysis of TiO2 nanocrystalline.

                                                                By Xiaoming Xiang