Highly crystalline, idiomorphic Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers grown from a NaCl flux at a relatively low temperature

Well-developed, highly crystalline Na₂Ti₆O ₁₃ whiskers were successfully grown by cooling a NaCl flux at a relatively low temperature of 700 °C. The obtained Na₂Ti ₆O₁₃ whiskers were colorless and transparent. The whiskers grown at 700 °C were single phase and exhibit the lowest sizes of up to about 3.5 μm X 0.1 μm. From the results of SEM, XRD, and TEM, it was confirmed that the Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers have very good crystallinity and elongated in the (010) directions. Furthermore, the whiskers exhibited good photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet light irradiation. It is reasonable to suppose that NaCl can be adequately used to synthesize high quality and well-developed titanate whiskers in an environmentally friendly process of crystal growth.