Micro-twins TiO2 nanorods grown on seeded ZnO film

TiO2 anatase nanorods (NRs) epitaxially grew along the [001] direction at 600 °C on seeded c-axis oriented ZnO films which were deposited on a quartz glass substrate. The length of TiO2 NRs was about 450 nm. Micro-twins (MTs) were found in the TiO2 NRs with the (103) plane as the twin planes. The possible growth mechanisms of these TiO2 MTs have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The photo-degradation experiment showed that the TiO2 NRs have a high degradation efficiency of 32.9%. The effects of structural defects and MTs on the photocatalytic activity have been discussed.

► TiO2 nanorods were epitaxially grown on c-axis ZnO film in the [001] direction. ► Micro-twins were found in TiO2 nanorods, which are asymmetric along the twin plane (103). ► Appearance of micro-twins is attributed to the stress release. ► TiO2 nanorods showed high photocatalytic activity.