One-pot synthesis and microstructure of multi-layered nanospheres via plasma electrolytic oxidation

In the present work, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is creatively introduced as a novel method to fabricate multi-layered nanospheres. Titanium (Ti) was oxidized in a phosphate-based electrolyte containing ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), which results in the formation of nanospheres on the ceramic coating. The as-fabricated nanosphere is amorphous with a three-layered architecture. The inner layer of the nanosphere contains Zn, Ca and P whereas Cu and P were detected in the medium layer with the outer layer enriched in Cu, O and Ti, which is promising in the field of bio-medical implanted devices. Herein, a novel one-pot synthesis strategy is proposed to fabricate multi-layered nanospheres, which could enlighten the preparation of hierarchical structures in various fields.