Controllable formation of TiO2-rutile nanostructures with a specified morphology using thermal oxidation technique

Titanium dioxide nanostructures are formed by a simple one-stage method of thermal oxidation of titanium in the temperature range of 700-900oC. The structures were studied by high-resolution electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is shown that, depending on the temperature, nanostructures in the form of crystallites, granules, and dendrites of TiO2-rutile are formed on the surface of metallic titanium. The proposed method is promising for the large-scale creation of advanced functionalized TiO2 surfaces applicable in catalysis and sensorics. Keywords: nanostructures, titanium dioxide, thermal oxidation, morphology, dendrites.