Formation of nanostructured TiO2 by femtosecond laser irradiation of titanium in O2

We used femtosecond laser irradiation of titanium metal in an oxidizing environment to form a highly stable surface layer of nanostructured amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2). We studied the influence of atmospheric composition on these surface structures and found that gas composition and pressure affect the chemical composition of the surface layer but not the surface morphology. Incorporation of nitrogen is only possible when no oxygen is present in the surrounding atmosphere.