Patent ID: 8883115

Claim:
A method for synthesizing TiO 2 -based nanowires, comprising: (a) adding an amount of TiO 2 powders to a volume of an alkaline solution in a container to form a mixture, wherein the TiO 2 powders are dispersed throughout the mixture, and the mixture consists of the TiO 2 powder and the alkaline solution, wherein the alkaline solution is formed of an alkali material and water; (b) sealing the container containing the mixture; (c) heating the sealed container containing the mixture at a temperature higher than 160° C. for a period of time effective to allow TiO 2 -based nanowires that are longer than about 1 mm to form; (d) forming, from the mixture, the TiO 2 -based nanowires that are dispersed throughout the mixture and that are longer than about 1 mm, wherein the TiO 2 -based nanowires are substantially in TiO 2 —B phase or titanate phase; and (e) casting the TiO 2 -based nanowires that are longer than about 1 mm over a template to allow a spontaneous self-organization of the nanowires to occur.