INSIGHT INTO THE STRUCTURE AND FORMATION OF TITANIUM OXIDE NANOTUBES

Titanium oxide nanotube is a promising material for versatile applications. However, its structure and formation mechanism were quite confusedly reported. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand its structure, formation mechanism and stability. In this study, the structure, formation and stability of titanium oxide nanotube were studied in detail. New experimental findings on the morphology of titanium oxide nanotubes were reported, demonstrating close-opened nanotubes, cone-shaped nanotubes, twin and ternary nanotubes etc. A structural model of the titanium oxide nanotubes is proposed on the basis of cylinders of smoothly curved sheets of TiO(6) octahedra, among which H(+) and H(3)O(+) are intercalated. The formation mechanism of titanium oxide nanotubes was deduced and discussed on the basis of their structural characteristics and chemical bonding behaviors of constituent atoms. The stability of the nanotubes was also studied under different conditions.