A Generalized Synthetic Strategy for Transition Metal Doped Brookite-Phase TiO2 Nanorods

We report a generalized wet-chemical methodology for the synthesis of transition metal (M) doped brookite-phase TiO2 nanorods (NRs) with unprecedented wide-range tunability in dopant composition (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, etc.). These quadrangular NRs can selectively expose {210} surface facets, which is induced by their strong affinity for oleylamine stabilizer. This structure is well preserved with variable dopant compositions and concentrations, leading to a diverse library of TiO2 NRs wherein the dopants in single-atom form are homogeneously distributed in a brookite-phase solid lattice. This synthetic method allows tuning of dopant-dependent properties of TiO2 nanomaterials for new opportunities in catalysis applications.