Titanium dioxide (Titania) has been utilized in photocatalysis since the discovery of the early 1970s. Since then, researchers have developed a variety of methods to tune the nanostructure and the composition to optimize the photocatalytic efficiency. Compared with nanoparticles or the bulk materials, nanotubular-structure titania possesses larger specific surface area and stronger adsorption capacity that results to a better photocatalytic effect. These unique chemical and physical properties allow titania nanotubes (TNT) to be widely used in sewage treatment, air purification, and sterilization areas.

The development of high-performance plasma-facing materials (PFMs) is one of the key issues in realizing the safe application of nuclear fusion reactors. The extreme working environment of PFMs in fusion devices is primarily characterized by high thermal load, high-energy particle bombardment, and high flux hydrogen (H)/helium (He) plasma irradiation. Tungsten and its alloys are promising plasma-facing materials (PFM) that were used for the international thermonuclear experimental (ITER) divertor and have been regarded as the most promising plasma materials for future fusion reactors.