Photocatalytic enamel/TiO2 coatings developed by electrophoretic deposition for methyl orange decomposition

The aim of this study was to obtain photocatalytic coatings, capable to decompose organic pollutants, through Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) of enamels containing respectively 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% (in wt%) of TiO₂ onto carbon steel substrates. High quality and homogeneous coatings were obtained by applying 12.5?V during 10?s, as the best EPD conditions. The layers were subsequently heat treated at 740?°C for 10?min, in order to obtain dense glazes.Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns and Raman results show that, after the heat treatment at 740?°C, TiO₂ mostly exists as anatase, responsible of the photocatalytic effect. Semi-quantitative chemical analysis indicate segregation of TiO₂ on the coatings surface, reaching saturation in the sample with 10?wt% TiO₂. FEG-SEM observations reveal rod-like and spherical Ti-rich phases along the cross section of the coatings; some Ti was also dissolved into the enamel. 3D topographical mapping shows that, by adding TiO₂, surface roughness increases significantly.Photocatalytic tests were carried out using a 2?×?10^?5 M aqueous solution of Methyl Orange (MO) as an organic pollutant. By comparing the decomposition rate of MO achieved with the pure enamel (0% of TiO₂) and with the sample with 10% of TiO₂, it was shown that the addition of 10% of TiO₂ results in 90% photocatalytic efficiency.Moreover, the permeation of organic compounds and their UV degradation were studied by measuring the water contact angle onto the enamel surface directly after dipping into oleic acid and after various UV irradiation times. The longer the UV irradiation time, the lower the contact angle, down to a minimum of 14.54° after 8?h of UV irradiation. This means, the compound was initially adsorbed on the enamel/TiO₂ coating surface (10?wt% TiO₂) but was efficiently decomposed upon UV irradiation.     

Two-Functional Direct Current Sputtered Silver-Containing Titanium Dioxide Thin Films

The article reports on structure, mechanical, optical, photocatalytic and biocidal properties of Ti–Ag–O films. The Ti–Ag–O films were reactively sputter-deposited from a composed Ti/Ag target at different partial pressures of oxygen on unheated glass substrate held on floating potential U _fl. It was found that addition of ~2 at.% of Ag into TiO₂ film has no negative influence on UV-induced hydrophilicity of TiO₂ film. Thick (~1,500 nm) TiO₂/Ag films containing (200) anatase phase exhibit the best hydrophilicity with water droplet contact angle (WDCA) lower than 10° after UV irradiation for 20 min. Thick (~1,500 nm) TiO₂/Ag films exhibited a better UV-induced hydrophilicity compared to that of thinner (~700 nm) TiO2/Ag films. Further it was found that hydrophilic TiO₂/Ag films exhibit a strong biocidal effect under both the visible light and the UV irradiation with 100% killing efficiency of Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 after UV irradiation for 20 min. Reported results show that single layer of TiO₂ with Ag distributed in its whole volume exhibits, after UV irradiation, simultaneously two functions: (1) excellent hydrophilicity with WDCA < 10° and (2) strong power to kill E. coli even under visible light due to direct toxicity of Ag.     

Preparation and Characterization of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) from Sludge produced by TiCl4 Flocculation with FeCl3, Al2(SO4)3 and Ca(OH)2 Coagulant Aids in Wastewater

Abstract

In this study, TiCl₄ coagulant together with coagulant aids such as FeCl₃, Al₂(SO₄)₃, and Ca(OH)₂ were investigated to improve the photoactivity of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) produced from sludge and to increase the resulting low pH value. After TiCl₄ flocculation with three coagulant aids, the settled floc (sludge) was incinerated at 600°C to produce TiO₂ doped with Fe, Al, and Ca elements. Fe-, Al-, and Ca-doped TiO₂ was characterized in terms of structural, chemical, and photo-electronic properties. All the coagulant aids used together with Ti-salt flocculation effectively increased the pH values. The surface area of TiO₂-WO (without any coagulant aids), Fe/TiO₂, Al/TiO₂, and Ca/TiO₂ was 122 m²/g, 77 m²/g, 136 m²/g and 116 m²/g, respectively. The TiO₂-WO, Fe/TiO₂, Al/TiO₂, and Ca/TiO₂ was found to be of anatase phase. The XRD pattern on the Fe/TiO₂ included an additional peak of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃). The majority of gaseous acetaldehyde with TiO₂-WO and Ca/TiO₂ for photocatalytic activity was completely removed within 40 minutes under UV irradiation.     

Photoelectrocatalytic properties of Ag nanoparticles loaded TiO2 nanotube arrays prepared by pulse current deposition

A pulse current deposition technique was adopted to construct highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles on TiO₂ nanotube arrays which were prepared by the electrochemical anodization. The morphology, crystallinity, elemental composition, and UV-vis absorption of Ag/TiO₂ nanotube arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). In particular, the photoelectrochemical properties and photoelectrocatalytic activity under UV light irradiation and the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation for newly synthesized Ag/TiO₂ nanotube arrays were investigated. The maximum incident photon to charge carrier efficiency (IPCE) value of Ag/TiO₂ nanotube arrays was 51%, much higher than that of pure TiO₂ nanotube arrays. Ag/TiO₂ nanotube arrays exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than the pure TiO₂ nanotube arrays under both UV and visible light irradiation. The photoelectrocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO₂ nanotube arrays under UV light irradiation was 1.6-fold enhancement compared with pure TiO₂ nanotube arrays. This approach can be used in synthesizing various metal-loaded nanotube arrays materials.     

Application of Slurry Type Photocatalytic Oxidation‐Submerged Hollow Fiber Microfiltration Hybrid System for the Degradation of Bisphenol A (BPA)

Abstract

A pilot scale, slurry type photocatalytic reactor, followed by submerged hollow fiber microfiltration (MF) membrane hybrid system was evaluated for simultaneous and complete destruction of toxic organic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and separation of photocatalyst TiO₂; in order to obtain a reusable quality water. With simple modification to the treatment operation, the effect of photocatalytic reaction at modest variations in temperature was examined. Adsorption pretreatment was carried out prior to photocatalysis (UV/TiO₂). BPA adsorption ability on TiO₂ was very less (about 15%) at 25°C. However, adsorption pretreatment followed by photocatalytic oxidation (UV/TiO₂) at an elevated nearly constant temperature (about 70°C) helped in increasing the BPA degradation efficiency. The effect of ozone introduction into the treatment stream was also analyzed. Applying ozone along with UV/TiO₂, brought about a synergistic effect on BPA degradation. Within 3 h, entire 10 ppm of BPA and the by‐product organic compounds were completely removed. TiO₂ particle separation performance using hollow fiber membrane was enhanced by adopting a two‐stage coagulation/sedimentation pretreatment. With initial turbidity of 4000 NTU, the turbidity of the final permeate water was well below 0.1 NTU. Almost complete removal of particles was achieved. Some of the main advantages of this hybrid treatment system include, large‐scale treatment, complete and efficient BPA and its organic intermediates degradation, TiO₂ easily separated after treatment and capable for reuse as it is free from chemical coagulant contaminants, reusable quality water is obtained, and the system has the potential for continuous operation with simple process modifications.     

The combination of photocatalysis process (UV/TiO2(P25) and UV/ZnO) with activated sludge culture for the degradation of sulfamethazine

The major factors affecting the removal efficiency of sulfamethazine (SMT) by photocatalysis process in the presence of TiO₂ P25 or ZnO, namely the pH, the amount of catalyst and the initial SMT concentration were examined. The obtained results showed the absence of adsorption of SMT on the catalysts and the absence of degradation of SMT by direct photolysis under UV light in the absence of catalyst. The variation of the pH solution in the range 4–9 did not cause any significant degradation of SMT. The optimal amounts of each catalyst were, respectively, 0.5 and 0.25 g/L for TiO₂ P25 and ZnO. Increasing the initial SMT concentration impacted negatively the removal efficiency, which decreased from 31% to 13% and from 100% to 27% in the presence of TiO₂ P25 and ZnO in the presence of 10 mg/L and 50 of SMT after 30-min reaction time, respectively. The obtained results showed better efficiency of ZnO than TiO₂ P25 regarding both removal efficiency and chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement. However, removal efficiency and COD abatement were not complete, even after 7 h of photocatalysis, about 92% and 41%, respectively. The biodegradability was examined after photocatalysis performed in the following conditions: [SMT]₀ = 50 mg/L, pH = 6, T = 25°C, ω = 360 rpm and 0.5 g/L of TiO₂ P25 or 0.25 g/L of ZnO. In these conditions, the removal efficiencies were, respectively, 26% and 41% in the presence of TiO₂ P25 and 55 and 92% in the presence of ZnO after 4 and 7 h of pretreatment times, respectively. The BOD₅/COD ratio increased substantially and, respectively, from 0 to 0.25 and from 0 to 0.16 in the presence of TiO₂ P25 and ZnO after 7 h of irradiation. Even if the limit of biodegradability (0.4) was not achieved, a subsequent biological treatment was considered in the presence of TiO₂ P25, leading to 58% COD abatement after a 28-day culture.     

Removal of persistent tartrazine dye by photodegradation on TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced by immobilized calcinated sewage sludge under visible light

TiO₂ nanoparticles on calcined sewage sludge (TiO₂/sludge) were prepared by the sol-gel method and were fully characterized. The photocatalytic efficiency of TiO₂/sludge was evaluated by tartrazine dye degradation by halide lamp. TiO₂/sludge exhibited a high photocatalytic oxidation efficiency (more than 90%) of tartrazine compared with naked TiO₂ (less than 20%) due to the synergy effect of sewage sludge. The optimization of experimental conditions was 0.5 g/l TiO₂/Sludge, pH 8 with 50 mg/l tartrazine dye. The addition of sewage sludge to TiO₂ improves the efficiency of dye mineralization. The prepared catalyst showed easier separation and effective reuse.     

A highly active bi-crystalline photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 (B) nanotube and anatase particle for producing H2 gas from neat ethanol

Sodium titanate nanotubes (NaTNTs) are converted into monoclinic TiO₂ (B) nanotubes by rinsing with 0.10 M HCl followed by drying at 573 K. As calcination temperature is increased to 673 K, these TiO₂ (B) nanotubes start to transform into anatase nanoparticles producing a bi-crystalline mixture consisting of TiO₂ (B) nanotubes and anatase nanoparticles. The primary particle size of the anatase particles was estimated to be around 10 nm using Scherrer equation. After being promoted with 1% Pt, this bi-crystalline material becomes a very active photocatalyst producing 20% more H₂ gas than 1% Pt/Degussa P-25 TiO₂ in the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of neat ethanol after 2 h of UV light irradiation.     

UV-protective treatment for Vectran® fibers with hybrid coatings of TiO2/organic UV absorbers

The high performance of Vectran^® fiber makes its application as an envelope material for airship feasible. The ultraviolet (UV) resistance of this fiber, however, is poor, and UV irradiation in the stratospheric environment causes rapid fiber aging. To protect Vectran^® fibers from UV irradiation, we prepared TiO₂ nanosols via a sol–gel method and added benzotriazole UV-1130, triazine Tinuvin^® 477, and hindered amine Tinuvin^® 123 to them to form organic/inorganic hybrid coatings. Fiber specimens were subjected to accelerated aging using a xenon arc weatherometer. Mechanical measurements as well as surface morphology and chemical composition analyses were performed to evaluate the UV-protective performance of different coatings. Hybrid coatings performed better than TiO₂ coatings in protecting fibers from UV. Among the hybrid coatings obtained, UV-1130 especially reinforced the UV-protective ability of the TiO₂ coating because of its strong UV absorbance. Although the performances of Tinuvin^® 477 and Tinuvin^® 123 were below optimal when combined with TiO₂ alone, both hybrids exhibited excellent synergistic effects when used together with UV-1130 and improved the UV-protective ability of the resultant hybrid coatings.     

Phorate degradation by TiO2 photocatalysis: Parameter and reaction pathway investigations

The photocatalytic degradation of phorate in aqueous suspensions was examined with the use of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a photocatalyst. About 99% of phorate was degraded after UV irradiation for 60 min. The photodegradation of phorate followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and parameters such as pH of the system, TiO₂ dosage, and presence of anions were found to influence the reaction rate. To obtain a better understanding of the mechanistic details of this TiO₂-assisted photodegradation of phorate with UV irradiation, the intermediates of the processes were separated, identified, and characterized by the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques. The probable photodegradation pathways were proposed and discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports the degradation pathways of phorate. The electrical energy consumption per order of magnitude for photocatalytic degradation of phorate was also calculated and showed that a moderated efficiency (E_EO = 96 kWh/(m³ order)) was obtained in TiO₂/UV process.     

Selective photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants by CuxS/ZnO/TiO2 heterostructures

Photoactive heterostructures containing Cu_xS/ZnO/TiO₂ have been obtained by spray pyrolysis deposition followed by post-deposition thermal treatment. The ZnO middle layer morphology was tailored by using chemical additives during the deposition. The samples have crystalline structure with average crystallite size around 80 Å for metal oxides and 90 Å for Cu_xS. The roughness varies from 27.5 nm for Cu_xS/dZnO/TiO₂ to 33.6 nm for Cu_xS/pZnO/TiO₂ samples. The wettability properties were tested based on the contact angle measurements. The highest surface energy value (106.4 mN/m) corresponding to Cu_xS/pZnO/TiO₂ with 30 min UV irradiation, with a predominant polar component of 85.3 mN/m. The photocatalytic efficiency under UV–Vis light irradiation was evaluated using methylene blue and phenol as pollutants. The highest photocatalytic values (93.4% for methylene blue and 72.3% for phenol) were obtained for Cu_xS/pZnO/TiO₂ heterostructure with successive 30 min UV irradiation at 2 h intervals. The mineralization efficiency was tested using total organic carbon analysis and the results are slightly lower compared with photocatalytic efficiency.     

Application of Optical-fiber Photoreactor for CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction

An optical-fiber photoreactor, comprised of 216 catalyst-coated fibers, was designed and assembled to transmit and spread light uniformly inside the reactor. The power loss of light transmission inside an optical fiber was calculated using beam propagation method. The optimum length of optical fiber was estimated to be near 11 cm long in order to entirely spread out light energy over surface catalyst. Vapor-phase CO₂ was photocatalytically reduced to methanol using the photoreactor under UV irradiation in a steady-state flow system. The solutions of metal-loaded titania were prepared by thermal hydrolysis method. Metal-loaded TiO₂ film was coated on optical fibers by dip-coating method. TiO₂, Cu/TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂ films were uniformly on the fibers and their thicknesses ranged from 27 to 33 nm. The films consisted of very fine spherical particles with diameters of 10–20 nm. The XRD spectra indicated anatase phase for all films. Methanol yield increased with UV irradiative intensity. Maximum methanol rate was 4.12 μmole/g-cat h using 1.0 wt%-Ag/TiO₂ catalyst at 1.13 bar of CO₂, 0.03 bar of H₂O pressures, and 5,000 s mean residence time under 10 W/cm² UV irradiation.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and acetaldehyde by TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/glaze coated porous red clay tile

Nanosized TiO₂ sol synthesized by sol-gel method was successfully coated on the porous red clay tile (PRC tile) with micrometer sized pores. PRC tile was first coated with a low-firing glaze (glaze-coated PRC tile) and then TiO₂ sol was coated on the glaze layer. A low-fired glaze was prepared at various blending ratios with frit and feldspar, and a blending ratio glazed at 700 °C was selected as an optimum condition. Then TiO₂ sol synthesized from TTIP was dip-coated on the glazed layer (TiO₂/glaze-coated PRC tile), and it was calcined again at 500 °C. Here, these optimum calcination temperatures were selected to derive a strong bonding by a partial sintering between TiO₂ sol particles and glaze layer. Photocatalytic activity on the TiO₂/glaze-coated PRC tile was evaluated by the extent of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and acetaldehyde. Methylene blue with the high concentration of 150 mg/l on the surface of TiO₂/glaze-coated PRC tile was almost photodegraded within 5 hours under the condition of average UV intensity of 0.275 mW/cm₂, while no photodegradation reaction of methylene blue occurred on the glaze-coated PRC tile without TiO₂. Another photocatalytic activity was also evaluated by measuring the extent of photocatalytic degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde. The photodegradation efficiency in TiO₂/glaze-coated PRC tile showed about 77% photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde from 45,480 mg/l to 10,536 mg/l after the UV irradiation of 14 hours, but only about 16% in the case of the glaze-coated PRC tile.     

The effect of UV irradiation on the electrospun PCL/TiO2 composites fibers

The effect of UV irradiation and micro‐ and nano‐TiO₂ as well as titanate nanotubes (TiNT) on the phase morphology and thermal properties of the electrospun PCL composite fibers was investigated. Polycaprolactone (PCL)/TiO₂ (micro‐ and nano‐TiO₂ as well as titanate nanotubes) composite fibers were prepared by electrospinning a polymer solution. The PCL and PCL/TiO₂ composite fibers were exposed to UV light at irradiation times of 5 and 10 days. After UV irradiation the crystallinity of the electrospun PCL/TiNTcomposite fibers increased because of the large specific surface area of TiNT. The thermal stability of the PCL/TiNT electrospun composite fibers increased due to the formation of crosslinking structure after UV irradiation. The SEM analysis suggests that after UV radiation the fibers showed high degree of degradation due to the high number of fibers breakages and fibers surface voids. The results of FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the TiO₂ particles enhance the degradation process because of their photocatalytic activity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43539.     

Integration of Photocatalysis and Microfiltration in Removing Effluent Organic Matter from Treated Sewage Effluent

An integration of photocatalysis with low-pressure submerged membrane has attracted growing interest for its synergic advantages in water and wastewater treatment. In this study, the adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds by UV light responsive titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were investigated. First, the adsorption behavior of the TiO₂ was examined by the adsorption isotherm and kinetics experiments. The photocatalytic reactivity of the catalysts was then compared at different operating conditions. The results indicate that the Freundlich model described well the adsorption capacity of both materials. The photocatalytic kinetics showed that the highest removal of effluent organic matter (EfOM) was achieved at an optimum concentration of 1.0 g/L of TiO₂. In addition, it was found that the pre-photosensitization with titanium dioxide/ultra-voilet radiation (TiO₂/UV) could effectively reduce membrane fouling and enhance the permeate flux of the submerged membrane reactor when it was used as a post-treatment. An increase of 10% in organic removal efficiency was achieved by the posttreatment of membrane filtration. The sustainable flux of the membrane reactor increased from 25 up to 40 L/m²·h when the pretreatment of photocatalysis was used.     

Photoactivity of Poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites modulated by TiO2 nanofillers

Photoactivity of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites is of great interest for rational design of products for either short‐term/single‐use or long‐term/durable applications. We prepared PLA/TiO₂ nanocomposite films through a solution mixing/film casting method. Results showed that photodegradability/photostability of PLA could be well modulated by selecting appropriate TiO₂ nanofillers. TiO₂ nanoparticles and nanowires were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer, and scanning electron microscopy. Changes in color, weight, structure, thermal stability, and phase transitions of PLA and nanocomposite films before and after UV irradiation were evaluated to study photoactivity characteristics. Pure PLA exhibited moderate photodegradability, but the photodegradability and photostability of PLA nanocomposites (PNA) were significantly enhanced by NanoActive (NA) TiO₂ nanoparticles and A type TiO₂ nanowires, respectively. Pure PLA had a weight loss of 27% after 38 days of UV irradiation. The weight loss of photodegradable (PD) PNA (PNA = PLA with 1% NA TiO₂) reached 38%, whereas that of photostable (PS) nanocomposites (P3AW) (P3AW = PLA with 3% A type TiO₂ nanowire) was only 5%. PD PLA exhibited characteristic peaks of carboxylic acid OH stretching and C?C double bond after UV irradiation in Fourier‐transform infrared spectra, whereas spectra of PS PLA remained almost the same. Thermal decomposition temperatures, glass transition temperatures, and melting temperatures of PD PLAs decreased dramatically after UV irradiation, but no obvious changes were observed for those of PS PLAs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40241.     

Photoelectrocatalytic bleaching of p-nitrosodimethylaniline using Ti/TiO2 nanostructured electrodes deposited by means of a pulsed laser deposition process

This study investigated the potential use of oxidation in a photoelectrocatalytic cell for bleaching p-nitrosodimethylaniline. The Ti/TiO₂ used as photo-anode was prepared by a pulsed laser deposition method. The TiO₂ coatings were found to have rutile and anatase structures consisting of approximately 10 and 15 nm in diameter, respectively. A relatively high degradation rate of p-nitrosodimethylaniline was recorded using the photoelectrocatalytic cell, compared to those measured during conventional electrochemical oxidation, direct photolysis and photocatalysis processes. The influence of different parameters such as crystallographic structure of Ti/TiO₂, type of cathode, potential applied, electrolysis time, UV irradiation and initial pH were investigated. The photoelectrocatalytic cell using Ti/TiO₂ (anatase structure) as photo-anode and vitreous carbon as cathode operated at a current intensity of 0.1 A for 120 min with 254 nm of UV irradiation was found to have the best conditions to remove high amounts of p-nitrosodimethylaniline (22.6 × 10^?3 mM h^?1).     

Preparation of aerochitin‐TiO2 composite for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

An aerochitin–titania (TiO₂) composite was successfully synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and N₂ adsorption isotherms. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was investigated on the degradation of the model organic pollutant, methylene blue (MB) dye, under UV irradiation. The aerochitin–TiO₂ composite showed excellent adsorptive and photocatalytic activity with a degradation degree of 98% for MB. The first‐order rate constants for the photodegradation MB by TiO₂ nanoparticles and aerochitin–TiO₂ composite were found to be (3.49 ± 0.04) × 10^?3 and (1.82 ± 0.02) × 10^?2 min^?1. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45908.     

Degradation of dye wastewater in a thin-film photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reactor with slant-placed TiO2/Ti anode

A thin-film photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reactor with slant-placed TiO₂/Ti anode was developed and successfully applied to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) and textile effluent. Using a 5–150 mg L⁻¹ RhB solution as the model system, thin-film PEC removed total color and TOC by 99–28% and 78–15%, respectively, in 1 h, which is much higher than 82–7% and 60% to zero by conventional PEC. The enhanced treatment efficiency achieved by thin-film PEC process was attributed to the significantly reduced path length of irradiation light source. The wastewater was kept circulating during the experiments to timely refresh the aqueous film on the TiO₂/Ti anode and promote the mass transfer of the target pollutants and the degradation products in the bulk solution. The thin-film PEC reactor can degrade both simulated and real dye wastewater efficiently under UV light irradiation. Results suggested that thin-film PEC was particularly superior for treating a high concentration solution. The thin-film PEC reactor was also applied to treat RhB solution efficiently under solar light irradiation. The recycle experiments demonstrated excellent stability and reliability of the slant-placed TiO₂/Ti anode. This study proposed a simple and effective method to design PEC reactor applicable for industrial dye wastewater treatment.     

Light energy storage and photoelectrochemical behavior of the titanate nanotube array/Ni(OH)2 electrode

A new kind of TiO₂ nanotube array/Ni(OH)₂ (TiO₂/Ni(OH)₂) composite electrode with the storage ability of light energy was prepared by the deposition of Ni(OH)₂ on the TiO₂ nanotube array, which was synthesized by anodizing Ti foils in an HF aqueous solution. SEM and XRD results showed that Ni(OH)₂ particles were well distributed on high density, well-ordered and uniform TiO₂ nanotube arrays. The photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO₂/Ni(OH)₂ electrode were investigated in NaHCO₃/NaOH buffer solution (pH 10) by means of UV-vis absorption spectra, cyclic voltammogram (CV) and photocurrent measurements. It was found that the TiO₂/Ni(OH)₂ electrode was highly sensitive to light and exhibited excellent photoelectrochromic properties. Upon UV irradiation, the photogenerated holes by TiO₂ nanotube arrays can oxidize Ni(OH)₂ to NiOOH, and thus the TiO₂/Ni(OH)₂ electrode can be photo-charged by light.