Anatase or rutile TiO2 nanolayer formation on Ti substrates by laser radiation: Mechanical, photocatalytic and antibacterial properties

•The thickness of TiO2 layer on Ti increases from 50 to 100 nm with the laser dose.•The increased thickness reduces the adhesion of TiO2 to Ti.•The modified Wagner’s oxidation model suggests that a monolayer of TiO2 can be grown by a single laser pulse.•At higher dose, the transformation from anatase to rutile phase is explained by the deficit of O atoms in Ti.•The irradiation induces the decrease in the colonization intensity of bacteria.