Crystalline phases induced in amorphous TiO2 matrix by crown ethers

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Abstract An amorphous titania matrix was synthesized using a Sol-gel method at room temperature. A slight crystallization, without a previous calcination process, was produced by adding the crown ethers 12C4, 15C5, and 18C6 during the synthesis of the amorphous TiO2. The presence of anatase and rutile nanocrystals was detected by high-resolution transmission electron (HRTEM) microscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The objective of the present work is to study the crystallization effect of the amorphous TiO2 synthesized by the sol-gel method by adding three crown ethers: 12C4, 15C5, and 18C6. Crystallization was detected and analyzed by IR, UV-Vis, and HRTEM. In all samples containing crown ethers, a slight crystallization without heat treatments was detected. The importance of this method of nanoparticle synthesis using crown ether, lies in the one-step synthesis of crystalline samples by sol-gel method without any additional treatments, and its potential use as an antibacterial agent, and multiple uses in the medical area, especially as a drug carrier encapsulated dopamine 15C5 may be used as a longer alternative treatment for patients with depression or Parkinson's disease. The characteristics of 15C5 crown ethers (e.g., their flexible and twisted geometry) probably affect its complexation ratio. In the area of ​​materials science, excellent interactions would be achieved between the synthesized material and the functionalized agents, giving rise to countless applications as batteries, solar cells, adsorbent materials, capacitors and catalysts.

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