Preparation of titanium oxide and metal titanates as powders, thin films, and microspheres by novel inorganic sol-gel process

Titanium oxide and titanates based on Ba, Sr and Ca were prepared from commercial solutions of TiCl4 and HNO3. The main preparation steps for the sols consisted of elimination of chloride anions by distillation with nitric acid and addition of metal hydroxides for the titanates. Resulting sols were gelled and used to (1) prepare irregularly shaped powders by evaporation; (2) produce by a dipping technique thin films on glass, Ag, or Ti substrates; and (3) produce spherical powders (diameters