Hierarchical titania nanotubes with self-branched crystalline nanorods

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2010 Jun;2(6):1581-7. doi: 10.1021/am100299e.

Abstract

Surface decoration strategy for one-dimensional nanostructures will improve their electrical, optical, mechanical, and electrochemical performances dramatically. Heterogeneous growth/deposition on surfaces, however, may create undesired junction interfaces in the system. Here we report a procedure during which amorphous titania nanotubes are readily self-branched with crystalline titanate nanorods at room temperature. The starting amorphous titania nanotubes were prepared by low-temperature atomic layer deposition combined with the template-directed approach. We routinely observed the self-branching phenomenon of crystalline titanate nanorods with a few nanometers in diameter onto the surfaces of the amorphous titania nanotubes in mild alkali solutions. The resulting structures were analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The reactivity of the hierarchical titania nanotube arrays was observed to be improved as a Li secondary battery electrode. Upon complete consumption of the amorphous body of titania nanotubes, in addition, titanate nanosheets/layers consisting of single TiO(2) layers with unit-cell thickness were obtained, elucidating the formation mechanism of layered titanate materials by alkali treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization
  • Electric Power Supplies
  • Electrochemistry / methods
  • Lithium / chemistry
  • Materials Testing
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / methods
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / methods
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Nanotubes / chemistry*
  • Temperature
  • Titanium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Lithium
  • Titanium