Synthesis of 1D-Anisotropic Particles Consisting of TiO2 Nanorods and SnO2 with Heteroepitaxial Junctions and Self-Assembled 3D-Microspheres

Anisotropic one-dimensional (1D)-particles with a SnO 2 “head”, a TiO 2 “tail”, and self-assembled three-dimensional (3D)-microspheres were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. At the first stage of the reaction, an amorphous TiO 2 layer is deposited on the SnO 2 surface. At the second stage, rutile nuclei are generated in the amorphous TiO 2 layer. At the third stage, a single TiO 2 nanorod grows from a SnO 2 particle with a heteroepitaxial relation of TiO 2 (001)//SnO 2 (001). Finally, the resulting 1D-anisotropic hybrid particles are self-assembled to form a radial 3D-microsphere with the SnO 2 head oriented in the central direction.