(739b) Bulk Production of Titania Nanowires in a Plasma Reactor

Large scale synthesis of titania nanowires suitable for variety of applications (such as low cost solar cells, Li ion batteries, catalyst for water-splitting etc.) has been difficult because of the limitation of the existing processes (few grams/day) or the titania property. Most of the growth processes uses liquid phase methods (hydrothermal, sol-gel etc.) or substrates which is not suitable for large scale synthesis (Kgs/day). A new straight forward and simple gas phase synthesis approach developed by us has resulted in large scale production of titania nanowires. This method is fast (~5 mins) and easier to scale up for bulk production of titania nanowires. The nanowires were obtained both using Ti and TiO2 powder as feed. TiO2 powders are cheaper and readily available commercially and hence better for commercial scale production.