Image of the week: multipodal nanotubes

Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is one of the most efficient photoactive materials however, its ability to effectively absorb available light has remained a challenge. To combat this, much work has been undertaken to study TiO2 nanotubes, including branched structures and ‘multipodal’, or multi-leg, arrays. In a recent JPhysD paper, Y Rambabu et al have fabricated multi-leg TiO2 nanotube arrays using an electrochemical anodisation technique, examining their properties including photocurrent and refractive index variation.

FESEM images of multi-leg TiO2 nanotubes large

FESEM images of multi-leg TiO2 nanotubes

Finally, they discuss how these nanotube arrays, with a high aspect ratio and ultra-thin walls (~15 nm), can be employed in photoelectrochemical water splitting and solar cells to improve light harvesting technologies.


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Images: Y Rambabu et al 2015 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 48 295302, copyright IOP Publishing Ltd 2015



Categories: Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics

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