Facile Synthesis and Tensile Behavior of TiO2 One-Dimensional Nanostructures

High-yield synthesis of TiO(2) one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures was realized by a simple annealing of Ni-coated Ti grids in an argon atmosphere at 950 degrees C and 760 torr. The as-synthesized 1D nanostructures were single crystalline rutile TiO(2) with the preferred growth direction close to [210]. The growth of these nanostructures was enhanced by using catalytic materials, higher reaction temperature, and longer reaction time. Nanoscale tensile testing performed on individual 1D nanostructures showed that the nanostructures appeared to fracture in a brittle manner. The measured Young's modulus and fracture strength are ~56.3 and 1.4 GPa, respectively.