Fabrication of TiO2 tubules by template synthesis and hydrolysis with water vapor

TiO2 nanostructures are prepared using a template method involving synthesis of TiO2 within pores of a nanoporous membrane. In this study, template synthesis is accompanied by hydrolysis by water vapor in the preparation of TiO2 nanotubules. These TiO2 nanotubules are prepared within the pores of an alumina template membrane. Characterization of the TiO2 tubules is accomplished by infrared spectroscopy (IR), UV-Vis spectrometry (UV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM). TiO2 nanotubule diameters of ca. 50 and 200 nm were found. The 50-nm-diameter nanotubules were polycrystalline of anatase, and the 200-nm-diameter nanotubules had a thickness of 10 nm. This new method based on template synthesis and hydrolysis by water vapor can fabricate smaller TiO2 nanotubules easier than sol-gel template synthesis.