Large-area sodium titanate nanorods formed on titanium surface via NaOH alkali treatment

Abstract

Ti surfaces covered with large sodium titanate nanorods act as efficient electrodes for energy conversion and environmental applications. In this study, sodium titanate nanorod films were prepared on a Ti substrate in a 5M NaOH aqueous solution followed by heat treatment. The morphological characterization and the crystal structures of the sodium titanate nanorods were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Thin amorphous sodium titanate layers formed during the alkali-treatment, and sodium titanate nanorods were obtained after heat treatment at a temperature of 700°C. The sodium titanate nanorods obtained at this temperature had a thickness of about 80 nm and a length of 1 μm. The crystal structure of the sodium titanate was identified with the use of Na2Ti5O11. The nanorods were agglomerated at a temperature above 900°C, and large-scale nanorods formed on the Ti surface, which may be used for electrodes for energy conversion applications.