Characteristics of two-dimensional millimetric microarrays of TiO2 nanowires and their photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Two-dimensional millimetric microarrays of TiO₂ nanowires were fabricated in this work. Anatase nanowires with lengths over 15 μm and widths of ca. 20 nm were synthesized from an octahedral-like (monomer)Ti precursor, titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide. Incomplete hydrolysis of the Ti precursor triggered the alignment of the hydrolyzed Ti–O octahedral species to form one-dimensional nanostructures. The formation of two- and three-dimensional microarrays of nanowires was influenced by the molar ratio of the surfactants, oleic acid, and hydrazine, employed in the synthesis. Furthermore, the millimetric microarrays of TiO₂ nanowires displayed excellent adsorption and photocatalytic performance.