Fabrication and photo-catalytic properties of pure and cation doped TiO2 nanotube arrays

Abstract

The highly ordered and vertically oriented pure TiO2 nanotube arrays (TONTAs) are synthesized by anodic oxidation of titanium foils in fluoride-based electrolytes under different temperatures and voltages. Then TONTAs are treated at different temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that its structure is anatase at 500 °C with the temperature increasing to 700 °C, the most of anatase will transform to rutile, the nanotube arrays form granular titanium oxide, while at 900 °C, anatase will transform to rutile completely. The experimental results of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue solution show that the cobalt-manganese co-doped TONTAs have good photocatalytic degradation efficiency.