Superhydrophobic surface of TiO2 hierarchical nanostructures fabricated by Ti anodization.

A hierarchical structure of TiO2 with disordered nanowires on top of regular nanotubes was fabricated. With organic monolayers, it showed stronger superhydrophobic properties than regular nanotubes. The surface roughness was further enhanced by removing the dense nanowires layer, resulting in 172° water contact angle. The potential application for aquatic devices was explored by the treated Ti mesh which showed striking floating stability.

Defective black TiOTiO2 synthesized via anodization for visible-light photocatalysis.

Defective TiO(2-x) was synthesized via a facile anodization technique. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra confirmed the presence of oxygen vacancy, which extended the photon-absorbance deeply into the visible-light region. By stripping off the nanotubes on top, a hexagonally dimpled layer of black TiO(2-x) was exposed and exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity.