Crystal splitting and enhanced photocatalytic behavior of TiO2 rutile nano-belts induced by dislocations

Crystal splitting and enhanced photocatalytic activities caused by implied dislocations were observed in hierarchical TiO2 nano-architectures prepared by one-pot hydrothermal synthesis in concentrated HCl. Microstructural observation revealed that the nanowires formed by continuous splitting of TiO2 nanobelts, which is caused by a lattice misorientation of about 6 degrees, were generated by an array of dislocations. In addition, the larger amount of dislocations implied in TiO2 nano-architectures induces higher photocatalytic activities under ultra-violet illumination.