Structure and photocatalytic properties of sintered TiO2 nanotube arrays

Authors

  • Jelena Vujančević Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA
  • Anđelika Bjelajac University of Belgrade, Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy
  • Jovana Ćirković University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research
  • Vera Pavlović University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
  • Endre Horvath École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Physics of Complex Matter (LPMC)
  • László Forró École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Physics of Complex Matter (LPMC)
  • Branislav Vlahović North Carolina Central University, Department of Physics; NASA University Research Center for Aerospace Device Research and Education and NSF Centre of Research Excellence in Science and Technology Computational Center for Fundamental and Applied Science and Education
  • Miodrag Mitrić University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences
  • Đorđe Janaćković University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy
  • Vladimir Pavlović Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanotubes perpendicular to the substrate were obtained by electrochemical oxidation of titanium foil in an acid electrolyte. In order to alter the crystallinity and the morphology of films the as-anodized amorphous TiO2 nanotube films were sintered at elevated temperatures. The evolution of the morphology was visualized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the crystalline structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of crystallinity and morphology of TiO2 nanotube (NTs) films on photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) in an aqueous solution under UV light irradiation were also investigated. The TiO2 nanotubes sintered at 650 °C for 30 min had the highest degree of crystallinity and exhibited the best photocatalytic activity among the studied TiO2 nanotube films.

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Published

2018-03-13

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Articles