Advanced Ti0.7W0.3O2 Nanoparticles Prepared via Solvothermal Process Using Titanium Tetrachloride and Tungsten Hexachloride as Precursors

The degradation of Pt-based catalysts is considered as the main barrier to the commercialization of fuel cells. M-doped TiO2 (M is a transition metal) has been investigated to improve the stability of electrocatalysts. Recently, W-doped TiO2 materials have been found as a good catalyst support for the photocatalyst applications but their application in Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell application has rarely been reported. In addition, the agglomeration of nanoparticles, which are synthesized from the organic precursor, has been reported. Here, we report Ti0.7W0.3O2 nanoparticles prepared via a one-step solvothermal method with inorganic precursors without using surfactants or stabilizers for restricting nanoparticle agglomeration. The properties of the material were measured by XRD, TEM, BET, and electronic conductivity. The mean particle size of ∼5 nm, the high specific surface area of 126.471 m2/g and a moderate electronic conductivity of 0.014 S/cm were obtained for the sample prepared at 220 °C for 4 h. It was observed that using inorganic precursors to prevent particle agglomeration is more advantageous compared to organic precursors as mentioned in previous reports.