Production of TiO2 crystalline nanoparticles by laser ablation in ethanol

TiO2 nanoparticles have received a special attention due to their applications in many different fields, such as catalysis, biomedical engineering, and energy conversion in solar cells. In this paper we report on the production of TiO2 nanoparticles by means of a pulsed laser to ablate titanium metallic target submerged in ethanol. The results show that titanium crystalline dioxide nanoparticles can be obtained in a narrow size distribution. Crystalline phases, morphology and optical properties of the obtained colloidal nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV/vis absorption spectroscopy. The produced particles consisted mainly of titanium oxide crystalline nanoparticles showing spherical shape with most diameters ranging from 5 to 50 nm. Nanoparticles are polycrystalline exhibiting the coexistence of the three main phases with the predominance of brookite.