Phase field model of faceted anatase TiO2 dendrites in low pressure chemical vapor deposition

Journal article, 2021

Anatase TiO2 nanorods with a well-defined ⟨110⟩⟨110⟩ texture have been studied using a model-based characterization technique based on a previous modeling framework. Intricate secondary side facet characteristics of tilt angles of 26.5∘26.5° have been indexed, and a ⟨112⟩⟨112⟩ growth direction of the well-aligned facets is identified. These results have not been accessed experimentally but crucial in understanding the nature of the most abundant facets and their structural properties. We find agreement between our results and indirect experimental measurements. Highly exposed {116} facets are found to be responsible for excellent electrochemical surface properties in nanostructured anatase TiO2 thin films.