Superhydrophilic-Superhydrophobic Template: A Simple Approach to Micro- and Nanostructure Patterning of TiO2 Films

Vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube (VATN) array micropatterns were fabricated based on a versatile superhydrophilic-superhydrophobic template. Scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and an electron probe microanalyzer were systematically used to confirm the successful fabrication of the dual-scale (micro-/nanoscale) patterns and characterize their structure and morphology. The fabrication of the VATN patterning employed a simple photocatalytic lithography technique and mild reaction conditions at low temperature in the absence of a photoresist and a harmful chemical catalyst. This large-area dual-scale pattern based on the superhydrophilic-superhydrophobic template is expected to be a promising candidate for many applications in a broad range of scientific and technological areas, such as sensor arrays and optoelectronic devices. (C) 2009 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3216032] All rights reserved.