Scalable synthesis of high-purity TiO(2) whiskers via ion exchange method enables versatile applications

In this work, high-purity titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) whiskers with different crystal forms were synthesized via ion exchange and controlled calcination methods. TiO(2) whiskers are of 5–10 μm in length with a length-to-diameter ratio of 10–20. A systematic investigation was established to explore the hydration process of K(+)/H(+) exchange, anatase-rutile transformation in the calcination process and the applications of TiO(2) whiskers. Compared with the other strategies previously used for the synthesis of TiO(2) whiskers, it was found that large-scale production was obtained under mild reaction conditions, which represented a facile and mild route for industrial production and expanded the versatile applications of TiO(2) whiskers. Moreover, with the addition of nano TiO(2) colloid as a special accelerant, the calcination process yielding uniform morphology and controllable crystal form was explored. Confirmatory experiments indicated that anatase and rutile TiO(2) whiskers respectively show excellent photocatalytic activities and unique carrier performance for fabricating functional whiskers.