Enhanced electrical conductivity of TiO2 micro-rods through surface modification by antimony-doped tin oxide

Abstract

To explore the potential of TiO₂ micro-rods as electrically conductive painting materials, a systematic synthesis approach was developed using an ion exchange method followed by controlled calcination. The resulting TiO₂ micro-rods have lengths of approximately 10 µm with a diameter of nearly 250 nm. Furthermore, one-dimensional conductive TiO₂ micro-rods coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (TiO₂@ATO) were successfully prepared via a hydrothermal coprecipitation method. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was employed as a surfactant and interfacial adhesive to ensure uniform dispersion and strong surface interactions. The TiO₂@ATO micro-rods were compression-molded under 3 tons of pressure for 3 min to form a compact disk (1.3 cm diameter), achieving a sheet resistivity of 68 Ω sq⁻¹ as measured by a four-point probe technique. Morphological and compositional analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), confirming the uniform coating of ATO on the TiO₂ micro-rods. This study highlights a promising and scalable approach for producing conductive TiO₂-based materials, suitable for use in electronic coatings and related applications.