Crystallization kinetics and phase transformations in aluminium ion-implanted electrospun TiO2 nanofibers

Abstract

Electrospun TiO2 nanofibers were implanted with aluminum ions, and their crystallization kinetics, phase transformations, and activation energies were investigated from 25 to 900 °C by in situ high-temperature synchrotron radiation diffraction. The amorphous non-implanted and Al ion-implanted TiO2 nanofibers transformed to crystalline anatase at 600 °C and to rutile at 700 °C. The TiO2 phase transformation of the Al ion-implanted material was accelerated relative to non-implanted sample. Compared with non-implanted nanofibers, the Al-implanted materials yielded a decreased activation energies from 69(17) to 29(2) kJ/mol for amorphous-to-anatase transformation and from 112(15) to 129(5) kJ/mol for anatase-to-rutile transformation. A substitution of smaller Al ions for Ti in the TiO2 crystal structure results in accelerated titania phase transformation and a concomitant reduction in the activation energies.