Editing Rutile (section)

==Synthetic rutile==
Synthetic rutile was first produced in 1948 and is sold under a variety of names. It can be produced from the titanium ore [[ilmenite]] through the [[Becher process]]. Very pure synthetic rutile is [[Transparency (optics)|transparent]] and almost colorless, being slightly yellow, in large pieces. Synthetic rutile can be made in a variety of colors by doping. The high [[refractive index]] gives an [[Lustre (mineralogy)#Adamantine lustre|adamantine]] [[lustre (mineralogy)|luster]] and strong refraction that leads to a [[diamond]]-like appearance. The near-colorless [[diamond simulant|diamond substitute]] is sold as "Titania", which is the old-fashioned chemical name for this oxide. However, rutile is seldom used in [[jewellery]] because it is not very [[Hardness|hard]] (scratch-resistant), measuring only about 6 on the [[Mohs hardness scale]].

As the result of growing research interest in the [[Photocatalysis|photocatalytic]] activity of titanium dioxide, in both anatase and rutile phases (as well as biphasic mixtures of the two phases), rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> in powder and thin film form is frequently fabricated in laboratory conditions through solution based routes using inorganic precursors (typically [[Titanium tetrachloride|TiCl<sub>4</sub>]]) or organometallic precursors (typically alkoxides such as [[titanium isopropoxide]], also known as TTIP). Depending on synthesis conditions, the first phase to crystallize may be the metastable [[anatase]] phase, which can then be converted to the equilibrium rutile phase through thermal treatment. The physical properties of rutile are often modified using [[dopants]] to impart improved photocatalytic activity through improved photo-generated charge carrier separation, altered electronic band structures and improved surface reactivity.