A facile method for rapid preparation of individual titania nanotube powders by a two-step process

Present study reports a facile method for preparing individual TiO₂ nanotube (NT) powders by a two-step process, which includes that TiO₂ NT bundles are rapidly synthesized by an electro-chemical process in perchlorate-containing electrolyte and then they are disaggregated into individual TiO₂ NT powders under an assistance of ultrasonic oscillation treatment. Morphological and microstructural properties of the individual TiO₂ NT powders are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate that the individual TiO₂ NT powders, which have an outer diameter of about 20 nm and an inner diameter of 10 nm, can be easily obtained from the disaggregation of the TiO₂ NT-bundles by combining the electrochemical process with the physical processing. Furthermore, the individual TiO₂ NT powders exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than the TiO₂ NT-bundle powders.