A Comparative Study on the Zinc Metatitanate Microstructure by Ball Milling and Solvothermal Approaches

Abstract

The microstructure of an a-TiO₂:ZnO system obtained by two different synthesis techniques is investigated. Equimolar a-TiO₂:ZnO is subjected to high-energy planetary ball milling as a dry mechanical technique and a solvothermal method as a wet technique for preparing zinc titanates. The investigation is performed by XRD and HR-TEM. The mechanical route results in the formation of ZnTiO₃ as a major product accompanied by Zn₂Ti₃O₈ as a minor one. The solvothermal route results in the formation of Zn₂Ti₃O₈ accompanied by traces of zincite. The thermal stability of later zinc titanate is explored under different temperatures and results in a homogeneous amorphous nanocrystalline phase transformation without a compositional change.