TiO2 nanosheets were synthesized by a combustion method using a metal nitrate solution combustion and urea fuel. Microwave irradiation was used as the heating source. X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy as well as specific surface area analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to characterize the samples obtained. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the ratio of rutile/anatase phases varied from 25/75 to 69/31 as the fuel-tooxidizer (i.e. urea/titanyl nitrate) ratio changed from lean to rich. The crystallite size of the as-synthesized samples calculated by the Scherrer formula was 6.5-63 nm. From scanning and transmission microscopy images flaky particles with loose packed agglomerates in the form of nanosheets were detected. Due to the smaller crystallite size and higher content of the anatase phase, the fuel lean sample seemed to be a better candidate for photo-catalytic functions.

Keywords: Nanosheets TiO2, Combustion, Fuel effect, Photo-catalytic activity.