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.