Energetics of nanocrystalline TiO(2)

The energetics of the TiO(2) polymorphs (rutile, anatase, and brookite) were studied by high temperature oxide melt drop solution calorimetry. Relative to bulk rutile, bulk brookite is 0.71 ± 0.38 kJ/mol (6) and bulk anatase is 2.61 ± 0.41 kJ/mol higher in enthalpy. The surface enthalpies of rutile, brookite, and anatase are 2.2 ± 0.2 J/m(2), 1.0 ± 0.2 J/m(2), and 0.4 ± 0.1 J/m(2), respectively. The closely balanced energetics directly confirm the crossover in stability of nanophase polymorphs inferred by Zhang and Banfield (7). An amorphous sample with surface area of 34,600 m(2)/mol is 24.25 ± 0.88 kJ/mol higher in enthalpy than bulk rutile.