Titanium oxide nanotubes prepared in phosphate electrolytes

In the present communication, we report the electrochemical formation of self-organized titanium oxide nanotubes (π-TiO2) prepared in fluoride ion containing phosphate electrolytes. The morphology of the π-TiO2 layers (particularly the pore diameter and length) is affected by the electrochemical conditions used (applied potential, electrolyte composition, pH, and anodizing time). Under specific sets of conditions highly self-organized titanium oxide nanotubes are formed with diameters varying from approx. 40 nm to 100 nm and length from approx. 100 nm to 4 μm. XPS investigations show that the nanotubes formed in phosphate solutions contain a significant amount of phosphorous species.