We report the deposition and structural characterization of nanostructural RuO2 on rutile (R)-TiO2/sapphire(100) templates by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The micrographs of field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns of RuO2/R-TiO2 heteronanostructures indicated the growth of vertically aligned RuO2 (001) nanotubes (NTs) and/or V-shaped RuO2(101) nanowedges (NWs) on top of R-TiO2 nanorods (NRs). Transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffractometry characterizations of the vertically aligned RuO2 NTs showed that the hollow RuO2 NTs with square cross section have open-end morphology with long axis directed along the [0 0 1] direction, while the V-shaped RuO2 NWs revealed that the nanowedges are crystalline RuO2 with twin plane of (101) and twin direction of [(1) over bar 01] at the V-junction. The probable mechanisms for the formation of well-aligned RuO2 nanocrystals on top of R-TiO2 NRs were discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.