Synthesis of Anatase TiO2 Nanoshuttles by Self-Sacrificing of Titanate Nanowires

Anatase TiO2 nanoshuttles have been successfully prepared via a hydrothermal method under alkaline conditions by employing titanate nanowires as the self-sacrificing precursors. The experimental results showed that a radical structural rearrangement took place from titanate wires to anatase TiO2 shuttles during the hydrothermal reaction on the basis of a dissolution - recrystallization process. The surface of titanate nanowires plays a key role in the transformation process by providing both the structural units (e.g., TiO6 octahedra) to realize anatase transformation and locations for the deposition and rearrangement of the dissolved structural units, while the formation of shuttle morphology is attributed to the minimization of surface energy with thermodynamically stable (101) facets of anatase TiO2. The shape and phase transformation process were foundto be dependent on the hydrothermal reaction time. Raman and photoluminescence spectra confirmed the crystalline nature of the TiO2 nanoshuttles.