Titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanoparticle suspensions and methods of making the same

1. A method of manufacturing titanium dioxide nanoparticles of controlled particle size, comprising:

(i) reacting an inorganic titanium compound with water to form an aqueous titanium solution that is substantially free of a monofunctional alcohol;

(ii) adding an amount of a dispersing agent to the aqueous titanium solution to form a precursor solution, wherein the dispersing agent comprises a plurality of organic molecules that have at least one functional group capable of binding to the titanium in the aqueous solution; and

(iii) forming a plurality of titanium dioxide nanoparticles by holding the precursor solution at one or more temperatures until the nanoparticles form out of the precursor solution in the presence of the dispersing agent,

wherein the dispersing agent is included in an amount so as to form the titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a controlled particle size,

wherein the titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed in the presence of the dispersing agent.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic titanium compound comprises at least one of titanium tetrachloride or titanium sulfate.

3. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the organic molecules of the dispersing agent comprise at least two different functional groups selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl, a carboxyl, a carbonyl, an amide, an amine, a thiol, a sulfonic acid, sulfonyl halide, an acyl halide, and combinations thereof.

4. A method as in claim 1 , wherein (i) and (ii) are performed simultaneously.

5. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic titanium compound is reacted with water having a temperature below about 50° C.

6. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic titanium compound is reacted with water having a temperature below about 10° C.

7. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic titanium compound is reacted with water at about 0° C. or with ice.

8. A method as in claim 7 , wherein reacting the inorganic titanium compound with water or ice forms a titanyl compound.

9. A method as in claim 1 , wherein during (iii) the pH of the diluted titanyl solution is acidic.

10. A method as in claim 1 , wherein during (iii) the pH of the diluted titanyl solution is less than about 5.

11. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent is added to the titanium solution in a ratio of titanium atoms to functional groups of about 0.01 to about 100 and such that in (iii) titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed having a size between about 2 nm and 200 nm.

12. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the precursor solution is held at a temperature between about 15° C. and about 155° C. during (iii).

13. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the precursor solution in (iii) is changed rapidly to induce the formation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

14. A method of manufacturing titanium dioxide nanoparticles of controlled particle size, comprising:

(i) reacting an inorganic titanium compound with water or ice to form a titanyl solution comprising at least 1.2 M of a titanyl compound;

(ii) providing a dispersing agent comprising a plurality of organic molecules that have at least one functional group capable of binding to the titanyl compound, wherein the dispersing agent is not a monofunctional alcohol;

(iii) adding the dispersing agent and sufficient solvent to the titanyl solution to dilute the concentration of the titanyl compound to between about 0.2 M and about 1.2 M and yield a ratio of titanium atoms to functional groups of about 0.01 to about 100 in the diluted titanyl solution;

(iv) forming a plurality of titanium dioxide nanoparticles by maintaining the diluted titanyl solution at a temperature between about 15° C. and about 155° C.,

the dispersing agent causing the titanium dioxide nanoparticles to form with a controlled particle size.

15. A method as in claim 14 , wherein the titanyl compound comprises at least one of TiOCl 2 , or TiO(SO 4 ).

16. A method as in claim 14 , wherein the dispersing agent comprises at least two functional groups capable of binding to the titanyl compound.

17. A method as in claim 14 , wherein the dispersing agent is added to the titanium solution in a ratio such that in (iv) titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed having a size between about 2 nm and 200 nm.

18. A method of manufacturing titanium dioxide nanoparticles of controlled particle size, comprising:

(i) reacting an inorganic titanium compound with water or ice to form a titanyl solution having a concentration of a titanyl compound greater than about 1.2 M;

(ii) providing a dispersing agent comprising a plurality of organic molecules that have at least one functional group capable of binding to the titanyl compound, wherein the at least one functional group is selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl, a carbonyl, an amide, an amine, a thiol, a sulfonic acid, sulfonyl halide, an acyl halide, and combinations thereof;

(iii) adding the dispersing agent and sufficient solvent to the titanyl solution to dilute the concentration of the titanyl compound to between about 0.2 M and about 1.2 M and to yield a ratio of titanium atoms to functional groups of about 0.01 to about 100 in the diluted titanyl solution;

(iv) forming titanium dioxide nanoparticles by maintaining the diluted titanyl solution at a temperature between about 15° C. and about 155° C.,

the dispersing agent causing the titanium dioxide nanoparticles to form with a controlled particle size.

19. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the organic molecules comprise a second functional group differing from the at least one functional group and comprising a hydroxyl group.

20. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the dispersing agent is added to the titanium solution in a ratio of titanium atoms to function groups of about 0.01 to about 100 and such that in step (iv) titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed having a size between about 2 nm and 200 nm.

21. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent comprises at least one type of organic molecules selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, glycine, L-alanine, and β-alanine.

22. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising cooling the precursor solution to a temperature less than the one or more temperatures at which the titanium dioxide nanoparticles are formed to yield a suspension of stabilized titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

23. A method as in claim 22 , the precursor solution being cooled to a temperature less than about 10° C.

24. A method as in claim 22 , the precursor solution being cooled to a temperature less than about 0° C.

25. A method as in claim 14 , wherein the dispersing agent comprises at least one type of organic molecules selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, glycine, L-alanine, and β-alanine.

26. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the dispersing agent comprises at least one type of organic molecules selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, glycine, L-alanine, and β-alanine.

27. A method of manufacturing titanium dioxide nanoparticles of controlled particle size, comprising:

(i) reacting an inorganic titanium compound with water to form an aqueous titanium solution;

(ii) adding an amount of a dispersing agent to the aqueous titanium solution to form a precursor solution, wherein the dispersing agent comprises a plurality of organic molecules that have at least one functional group capable of binding to the titanium in the aqueous solution;

(iii) forming a suspension of titanium dioxide nanoparticles by holding the precursor solution at one or more temperatures in a range of about 15° C. to about 155° C. until the nanoparticles form out the precursor solution in the presence of the dispersing agent, the dispersing agent at least partially controlling the size of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles; and

(iv) cooling the suspension of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to a temperature below the one or more temperatures to yield a suspension of stabilized titanium dioxide nanoparticles of controlled particle size.

28. A method as in claim 27 , wherein the suspension of titanium dioxide nanoparticles is cooled to a temperature less about 10° C.

29. A method as in claim 27 , wherein the suspension of titanium dioxide nanoparticles is cooled to a temperature less about 0° C.