One-dimensional growth of TiO2 nanorods from ilmenite sands

Growth mechanisms of TiO2 nanorods synthesized from mineral ilmenite using ball milling and annealing method have been systematically investigated. Two annealing processes are needed to grow the nanorods. The heating rate and gaseous environment in the first annealing step are critical to the formation of intermediate phases; these and the annealing atmosphere in the second heating play very important roles in nanorod growth. One-dimensional growth of the nanorods induced by low-temperature annealing in nitrogen plus hydrogen is possibly driven by atom vacancy diffusion in addition to surface diffusion.