Single crystal TiO2 nanorods: Large-scale synthesis and field emission

► TiO2 nanorods are formed by chemical vapor deposition in the 700-800 °C range. ► The evenly distributed nanorods are single crystal with rutile phase. ► TiO2 nanorods synthesized at 800 °C show a low turn-on field of 2.16 V/μm. ► The emission current remained at 3.0 mA/cm2 with only 3% fluctuation for 8 h. ► These properties are promising for potential use in field emission devices.