Abstract
Well-formed, highly crystalline potassium titanate whiskers were successfully grown by the KCl flux cooling method at a holding temperature of 800 °C using metallic titanium materials. Of primary importance were the metallic Ti spheres and potassium chloride powders that were used as the starting materials for growth of the titanate whiskers. Ultralong K 2Ti6O13 whiskers grew radially from the center of the Ti spheres by our flux technique. Cross-sectional SEM images demonstrate that the ultralong whiskers were grown on the TiO2 crystal layer, and the whisker spheres had a bilayer structure that was hollow in the center. When Ti powders were used as the starting material, spherical aggregation of K 2Ti6O13 and K2Ti4O 9 whiskers occurred. The product structures were different from those obtained from metallic Ti spheres. Based on SEM, EDS and XRD, the formation mechanism of the ultralong whiskers was also discussed. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the whiskers was confirmed by trichloroethylene degradation under ultraviolet light irradiation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4176-4180 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | CrystEngComm |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 Jun 21 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Materials Science(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics