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Crystals
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Crystaline TiO2 Nanotubes: From Production, Modification, to Innovative Applications
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Crystaline TiO2 Nanotubes: From Production, Modification, to Innovative Applications

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 1209

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Dumitriu Cristina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of General Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 060042 București, Romania
Interests: TiO2 crystalline nanostructures; conducting polymers; electrochemical characterization; sensors; gluten detection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Titanium dioxide is extensively researched in modern materials science. TiO2 is both economical and mostly non-toxic, having received approval from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food and pharmaceutical applications. Renowned for their exceptional characteristics, TiO2 nanotubes have garnered significant scientific attention and serve a crucial role. Owing to their almost unique electrical characteristics, they are extensively used in photoelectrochemical applications, including photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells. They are excellent prospects for biological applications, including antibacterial surface coatings. Furthermore, they exhibit excellent cytocompatibility and facilitate osteoblast cell spreading, proliferation, and differentiation. Moreover, drug delivery systems, bone/drug implants, self-cleaning substrates, and antibacterial agents exemplify the many uses of TiO2 nanostructures. An important aspect for TiO2 nanotube applications is their crystallinity. The annealing and crystallization of TiO2 nanotubes influence their surface attributes, including wettability, surface chemistry, and shape, among other things.

Dr. Dumitriu Cristina
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • crystallization of TiO2 nanotubes
  • TiO2 nanotubes biomedical applications
  • TiO2 nanotubes in dye-sensitized solar cells
  • TiO2 nanotubes drug delivery systems
  • TiO2 nanotubes antibacterial agents
  • TiO2 nanotubes self-cleaning substrates

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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22 pages, 7592 KB  
Article
Mechanical Properties and Tribological Behavior of Cu2O Nanosheets Deposited on TiO2 Nanotubes for Anti-Corrosion and Anti-Wear Implant Applications
by Syrine Sassi, Karim Choubani, Hafedh Dhiflaoui, Wissem Zayani, Amir Ben Rhouma, Mohammed A. Almeshaal, Mohamed Ben Rabha, Lotfi Khezami, Ahmed Ben Cheikh Larbi, Bernabé Mari Soucase and Anouar Hajjaji
Crystals 2026, 16(4), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16040260 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 369
Abstract
Successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) was used to deposit Cu2O nanosheets on anodized TiO2 nanotubes at different deposition cycles (4, 8, 15, and 20). Compared to the bare TiO2 nanotubes, these coatings were investigated for their tribological behavior [...] Read more.
Successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) was used to deposit Cu2O nanosheets on anodized TiO2 nanotubes at different deposition cycles (4, 8, 15, and 20). Compared to the bare TiO2 nanotubes, these coatings were investigated for their tribological behavior (friction, wear and energy loss), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to characterize Cu2O/TiO2 coatings to study the effect of number of cycles on the morphological and structural properties of the samples; these characteristics engage in determining the wear mechanisms. The assessment of the coating’s adhesion was determined by the obtained critical loads from the scratch test; the 15 cycles Cu2O/TiO2 exhibited higher critical loads, which corresponds to improved adhesion. This sample also showed a low wear volume of 7.5 × 106 µm3 compared to other samples but higher energy loss due to the low shear strength of copper oxide. The friction coefficient, however, decreased from 0.7 for bare TiO2 nanotubes to 0.48 for 20 cycles Cu2O/TiO2 coatings at higher loads, which proves the wear resistance enhancement. Since these coatings will be manufactured for orthopedic and dental implant applications, the corrosion resistance was tested, and the 15 cycles Cu2O-NPs/TiO2-NTs where these coatings exhibited the most favorable combination of a low corrosion current density (1.9 × 10−4 A/cm2) and a noble corrosion potential (−0.3 V/SCE); furthermore, there was a polarization resistance of 2.4 × 104 Ω·cm2 and a protection efficiency of 96.7%, indicating significantly enhanced corrosion resistance as opposed to the other samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystaline TiO2 Nanotubes: From Production, Modification, to Innovative Applications)
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24 pages, 9004 KB  
Article
PbS-Decorated TiO2 Nanotubes via SILAR for Enhanced Wear and Corrosion Protection in Technical Coatings
by Hafedh Dhiflaoui, Karim Choubani, Jabeur Ghozlani, Syrine Sassi, Wissem Zayani, Mohamed Aziz Hajjaji, Lotfi Khezami, Mohamed Salah, Mounir Gaidi, Mohamed Ben Rabha, Mohammed A. Almeshaal and Anouar Hajjaji
Crystals 2026, 16(4), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16040254 - 11 Apr 2026
Viewed by 384
Abstract
TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized using the anodization method on Ti foils and decorated with PbS nanoparticles by the SILAR method at different cycle numbers (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30). These samples were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, and microhardness tests. Morphologically, [...] Read more.
TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized using the anodization method on Ti foils and decorated with PbS nanoparticles by the SILAR method at different cycle numbers (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30). These samples were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, and microhardness tests. Morphologically, the PbS nanoparticles were evenly dispersed on TiO2 nanotubes in the shape of small spheres. With an increase in the number of cycles, the size and shape of the nanoparticles increased. This also affected the structure and crystallinity of the PbS NPs, as the crystallite size of PbS increased. The in-depth analysis of the tribological characteristics of the coatings conducted using the scratch test allowed us to evaluate the adhesion of the coatings, a crucial aspect in determining their effectiveness and durability. Furthermore, we found that the wear resistance of the coatings increased with the number of PbS cycles up to 15 cycles. However, for the samples with higher size distribution and crystallite size, such as those with more than 15 cycles, the microhardness continued to decrease. This indicates that the addition of PbS can improve the durability of TiO2 coatings, making them a potential candidate for advanced surface coatings in demanding engineering applications. Electrochemical measurements were conducted to assess the corrosion resistance of the samples. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) results revealed that the PbS/TiO2 coatings with 15 deposition cycles exhibited the most effective corrosion resistance, with a dense and uniform distribution of PbS nanoparticles forming a compact barrier that effectively protects against corrosion. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) and the absorption capacitance (Qab) values were higher for the 15-cycle sample (4.49 Ω·cm2 and 0.9 Fsn−1cm−2, respectively). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystaline TiO2 Nanotubes: From Production, Modification, to Innovative Applications)
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