Electro-Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange on TiO<sub>2</sub> Film Using CaСl<sub>2</sub> as Electrolyte

Abstract

Porous and smooth TiO2 film electrodes prepared by sol-gel method were used on methyl orange degradation by an electro-assisted photocatalytic degradation process. Methyl orange cannot be degraded under applied potential solely below 2.0 V. When the applied potential was below 1.3 V, methyl orange degradation rates on porous TiO2 film increased from 5% at 0 V to 65.3% at 1.3 V, and degradation rates on smooth TiO2 film changed from 2.2% at 0 V to 61.1% at 1.3 V. Electro-assisted photocatalytic degradation rate on porous film was better than that on smooth film in the whole electrolyte concentration range. Electro-assisted degradation exhibited the same rising trend along with reaction time on the porous and smooth films.