Morphological Control and Hydrophilic Properties of TiO 2 Nanorod/Nanotube Films by Hydrothermal Method

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanorods/nanotubes grown directly on titanium (Ti) foil were synthesized in different media by the hydrothermal method. In an acid hydrothermal medium, TiO 2 nanorod films were easy to obtain. However, the samples tended to form nanotube films in alkaline medium. After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for 10 min, the contact angle of the TiO 2 nanorod film decreased from 8.5° to 2.1°, indicating that the sample possesses excellent superhydrophilic properties. It is worth noting that TiO 2 nanotube films exhibited remarkable superhydrophilic properties (contact angle ≤ 1°) even without UV irradiation, which can be attributed to their unique morphology and composition. In addition, Ti foil itself had good flexibility, and the hydrophilic materials prepared with Ti foil as the substrate will show a wider range of applications, such as microfluidic technology.