Hollow nano-objects have raised interest in applications such as sensing, encapsulation, and drug-release. Here we report on a new class of porous materials, namely inorganic nanotube aerogels that, unlike other aerogels, have a framework consisting of inorganic hollow nanotubes. First we show a preparation method for titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and aluminum oxide nanotube aerogels based on a...

Titanium (Ti) is one of the most promising biomaterial for biomedical devices due to its high corrosion resistance and specific combination of strength and biocompatibility. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures are obtained by electrochemical anodization of Ti foils under self-organization condition; anodization parameters such as anodization time, voltage, temperature and most important elec...

Infection-related complications have been a critical issue for the application of titanium orthopedic implants. The use of Ag nanoparticles offers a potential approach to incorporate antimicrobial properties into the titanium implants. In this work, a novel and simple method was developed for synthesis of Ag (II) oxide deposited TiO2 nanotubes (TiNTs) using electrochemical anodization followed ...

A vertically aligned nanotube array of titanium oxide was fabricated on the surface of titanium substrate by anodization. The nanotubes were then treated with NaOH solution to make them bioactive, and to induce growth of hydroxyapatite (bone-like calcium phosphate) in a simulated body fluid. It is shown that the presence of TiO2 nanotubes induces the growth of a "nano-inspired nanostructure", i...

In the present work, we introduce a facile and reliable approach to decorate TiO2 nanotubes homogenously with wellseparated copper oxide nanoparticles. For this, we use a palladium-containing titanium alloy (commercial Ti 0.2 atom% Pd) and grow anodic, self-organized oxide nanotubes. Palladium is embedded in the tube wall during growth and acts as activator for a subsequent electroless copper-n...

One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide (ATO) nanotube arrays hold great potential as photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we report a facile and eco-friendly electrochemical hydrogenation method to modify the electronic and PEC properties of ATO nanotube films. The hydrogenated ATO (ATO-H) electrodes present a significantly improved photocurrent of 0.65 mA/cm2...

A silicon nanocrystals (Si-ncs) conjugated-polymer-based bulk-heterojunction represents a promising approach for low-cost hybrid solar cells. In this contribution, the bulk-heterojunction is based on Si-ncs prepared by electrochemical etching and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer. Photoelectric properties in parallel and vertical device-like configuration were investigated. Electronic inter...

We study the interface between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and surface-deposited titanium using electron microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy, supported by density functional calculations. Charge transfer from the Ti atoms to the nanotube and carbide formation is observed at the interface which indicates strong interaction. Nevertheless, the presence of oxygen between the Ti and the CNTs signi...