Fabrication and photoluminescence properties of ridged TiO2 nanotube arrays

Highly-ordered ridged TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays have been fabricated by a simple anodic method. Their structures have been systematically investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer and HRTEM, and the results clearly presented the ridged morphologies with the outer diameters of about 200 nm. We also found that the annealing procedure induced the phase transformation from amorphous phase to anatase phase. The room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) properties were studied, and the much stronger PL emission for the anatase phase was observed compared to the amorphous counterparts. Furthermore, the broad emission for the anatase phase could be decomposed of three peaks locating at 540, 622 and 773 nm, respectively. The oxygen vacancies and the trapping of free excitons by TiO6 octahedra near defects are the key factors to cause these peaks.