Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Atomic Layer Deposition of Vanadium Dioxide and a Temperature-dependent Optical Model
Published on: May 23, 2018
Oriented Attachment and Nanorod Formation in Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO
Fabio Grillo1, Damiano La Zara1, Paul Mulder1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Understanding the spontaneous organization of atoms on well-defined surfaces promises to enable control over the shape and size of supported nanostructures. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) boasts atomic-scale control in the synthesis of thin films and nanoparticles. Yet, the possibility to control the shape of ALD-grown nanostructures remains mostly unexplored. Here, we report on the bottom-up formation of both linear and V-shaped anatase TiO2 nanorods (NRs) on graphene nanoplatelets during TiCl4/H2O ALD carried out at 300 °C. NRs as large as 200 nm form after only five ALD cycles, indicating that diffusional processes rather than layer-by-layer growth are behind the NR formation. In particular, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the TiO2 NRs and graphene nanoplatelets are in rotational alignment as a result of lattice matching. Crucially, we also show that individual nanocrystals can undergo in-plane oriented attachment.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Orbitals
Attachment
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals II
Atomic Structure
The Atomic Theory of Matter
Atomic Mass

