Nanocrystalline TiO₂ semiconductor represents the ideal photocatalyst due to its high photocatalytic reactivity, chemical stability, non-toxicity, low price, availability, and redox efficiency. However, only the optoelectronic properties of anatase structure make it adequate for its useage as a photocatalytic material able to oxidize many organic and inorganic molecules in the presence of near-UV radiation.

In order to obtain anatase TiO₂-polymorph nanoparticles, four methods were studied, all using titanium (IV) butoxide as precursor alkoxide. Method A was the simple precipitation method, and method B involved a sol-gel route. The methods C and D were derived from sol-gel technique: C - involves obtaining an yellow gel; and D – where water was not added for hydrolysis.

The obtained powders were calcinated and characterized using specific methods: X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy-HRTEM, differential thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy.