ABSTRACT

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), a semiconductor having a variety of applications, has drawn wide attention as an important class of ceramic material. This chapter discusses various methods of preparation and applications of TiO2 nanomaterials of different sizes and morphologies. TiO2 exhibits mainly four different phases: three naturally existing phases, that is, anatase, rutile, brookite, and a fourth one, TiO2- B, a less common structure derived from titanates, also called TiO2 bronze. Many methods have been reported for preparation of TiO2 nanocrystals of different morphologies, like nanotubes, nanorods, nanowires, nanobelts, nanosheets, and nanofibers. The chapter details mostly used methods, like hydrothermal, solvothermal, sol-gel, template-assisted, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To meet the challenges of fossil fuel depletion, hydrogen energy is considered as an attractive alternative energy source. Photocatalyzed water splitting has become a promising way of generating hydrogen. In comparison to other semiconductors TiO2 has been widely considered as a photocatalyst due to low cost and nontoxicity.