Synthesis and optical properties of rutile TiO2 microspheres composed of radially aligned nanorods

Rutile titania microspheres with diameters of about 2–5 μm have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The products are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, EDXA, X-ray diffractometer, and UV–Vis–NIR. It is found that each microsphere is composed of radially aligned nanorods with diameters of about 100 nm and lengths of 2 μm. The influence of the reaction time on the morphologies of TiO2 microspheres has been investigated.