Formation of self-organized zirconium titanate nanotube layers by alloy anodization

Self-organized zirconium titanate nanotube layers (see figure) have been produced by anodizing a Ti-Zr alloy in a fluoride-containing electrolyte. The diameter of the tubes can be adjusted by the anodization voltage and ranges from several tens of nanometers to several hundreds of nanometers. The as-formed layers are amorphous but can be crystallized to zirconium titanate by an adequate thermal treatment.