Formation Mechanism of Gaps and Ribs Around Anodic TiO2 Nanotubes and Method to Avoid Formation of Ribs

Anodic TiO2 nanotubes (ATNTs) have been studied extensively for many years. However, their mysterious formation mechanism still remains unclear. The formation of gaps and ribs around the nanotubes has not been elucidated. Here, various surface and cross-section morphologies of ATNTs obtained under different anodizing conditions and their evolution process have been investigated in detail. Based on many experimental facts, new explanations for the gaps and ribs are presented. An entire surface layer covered on the nanotubes plays a primary role on the formation of gaps and ribs. The gaps result from the radial distribution of the electric field at the pore bottom. No newly-formed oxide will exist along the gap direction, because the electric filed along the gap is the minimum. The ribs result from the electrolyte entering into the wider gaps among the ATNTs due to the rupture of the entire surface layer. The rings or ribs on the outer wall of ATNTs are formed at the electrolyte/Ti interface due to the discontinuous existence of a small amount of electrolyte within the gap base. The present viewpoint was demonstrated by an original micro-dam, which can block the electrolyte entering into the gaps and avoid the formation of ribs.