Room-temperature synthesis of single-crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanowires

Single-crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanowires have been synthesized using a novel, room-temperature method involving the use of seed particles and a radio frequency magnetron sputter deposition technique. Also, the growth time required was less than 60 min. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption near-edge structure analyses show that the obtained nanowires are single-crystalline anatase TiO₂. Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy spectrum shows that the nanowires band-to-band emission exhibits a blue shift from to 3.20 (387) to 3.46 eV (358 nm). Conventional vapor'liquid'solid and vapor'solid'solid growth modes are not applicable to explain the growth of the obtained single-crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanowires at room-temperature. A folded-growth mode is therefore suggested.