Tile overlapping model for synthesizing TiO2 nanotubes by microwave irradiation

In the past decade, different methods for synthesizing titania nanotubes have arisen, and several models have been proposed to explain the mechanism, such as the roll-up formation model and the oriented crystal growth model. But there are some disputes between the models and, on the basis of the results of our experiments, we think that the mechanisms for forming titania nanotube have some shortcomings. In this paper, a novel method for synthesizing titania nanotubes by microwave irradiation is briefly introduced. On the basis of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution (HRTEM), we suggest that a novel formation mechanism, titania nanotubes formed from tiles overlapping from the initial tubules, can explain the results of the experiments.