Due to the unique properties of nanostructured metal-oxides, derived from their extremely small size scale in at least one dimension, several techniques have been developed for their production. However many of these techniques involve the use of chemical additives which could impact device performance, require costly processing equipment and highly trained personnel, or are difficult to scale up for mass production. In this dissertation a novel technique for the production of nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO2) by thermal oxidation of titanium and several of its alloys is presented. Two separate oxidation processes are described for the production of nanowires on titanium alloys and on commercially pure titanium (CPTi). The first involves oxidation in an oxygen deficient environment to promote the growth of 1-D nanowires. It was found that the oxidation temperature as well as the oxygen concentration play an important role in nanowire formation. A brief discussion is offered to explain the transition from planar oxide growth to highly anisotropic 1-D nanowires on the titanium alloy samples. Oxidation in an oxygen deficient environment was less successful at producing nanowires on CPTi. Thus, an alternative method of oxidation in a humid environment is presented as a means of increasing nanowire yield on CPTi substrates.
Several applications for the nanostructures produced by these methods are presented and future research directions are suggested. For example oxidation of Ti-6%Al-4%V (Ti64) alloy, widely used for biomedical applications, to produce nanostructures has been investigated as a means of improving cell adhesion and proliferation on medical implants. The nanowires grown on CPTi have been used as a precursor for hydrothermal conversion to barium titanate, a perovskite structure exhibiting ferroelectric behavior at room temperature. The unique morphology of the nanostructured TiO2 precursor results in the formation of dendritic barium titanate, a unique structure seldom reported for this material. These and other exciting applications have been explored demonstrating the potential for industrial application of the low-cost methods to produce nanowires. Both oxidation processes for the production of TiO2 nanowires on titanium substrates are low cost and are easily scalable for mass production of TiO2 nanowires giving them a distinct advantage over other nanowire production methods.