title: Electron-beam-induced growth of TiO(2) nanostructures.
abstract: We report the evolution of titanium dioxide nanostructures when Au nanoparticles, supported on single crystal TiO(2) substrates, were heated under ∼260 Pa of flowing O(2) in an environmental transmission electron microscope. Nanostructures with different morphologies were first observed around 500°C. Our measurements show that temperature, oxygen pressure, and the electron beam control the nanostructure growth. We propose a reaction-controlled growth mechanism where mobile Ti atoms generated by the electron- beam-induced reduction of TiO(2) are preferentially reoxidized at the Au-TiO(2) interface.
authors.affiliation: LeRoy Eyring Center for Solid State Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. see.chee@asu.edu
authors.forename: See Wee
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Shankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivaramakrishnan
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Jian-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zuo