Effect of NaCl addition on nano rosette TiO₂ crystal growth during hydrothermal deposition

The effect of NaCl on the crystal growth of nano rosette TiO₂ hydrothermally grown on a glass substrate was examined. Nano rosette TiO₂ was synthesized through deposition on a glass substrate via hydrothermal reaction at 170°C for 6 hours. The effect of NaCl on nano rosette TiO₂ crystal growth during the hydrothermal process was observed through the addition of concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, and 10% v/v NaCl to the mixture of the precursors. Formation and growth of the crystal were characterized using X-ray diffraction, whereas morphology was examined using a scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffractograms revealed that the crystal belonged to rutile P4₂/mnm with lattice parameters of a = 4.557(6) A and c = 2.940(5) A. Morphology of the reaction product showed that the addition of NaCl inhibited the crystal growth of nano rosette TiO₂ with an average rosette petal cross-sectional size 80% smaller than that of the crystal grown with no NaCl addition.