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 SnO₂ “head”, a TiO₂ “tail”, and self-assembled three-dimensional (3D)-microspheres were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. At the first stage of the reaction, an amorphous TiO₂ layer is deposited on the SnO₂ surface. At the second stage, rutile nuclei are generated in the amorphous TiO₂ layer. At the third stage, a single TiO₂ nanorod grows from a SnO₂ particle with a heteroepitaxial relation of TiO₂(001)//SnO₂(001). Finally, the resulting 1D-anisotropic hybrid particles are self-assembled to form a radial 3D-microsphere with the SnO₂ head oriented in the central direction.