The Electrowetting and Corrosion Characterizations of Anodized As-Prepared Titanium Dioxide Nanotube

Abstract

Uniform titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays were prepared via the anodizing of titanium electrodes in hydrofluoric acid containing glycerol. The relationship between the electrochemical fabrication process and nanotube formation was studied. The uniformity and diameter of the titanium dioxide nanotube can be controlled by the anodizing voltage and hydrofluoric acid and glycerol concentration. The wettability can be tuned by coating the titanium electrode with the synthesized titanium dioxide nanotube as demonstrated by the contact angle measurement. The hydrophilic characteristic of the anodized electrode surface decreases when the diameter of the titanium dioxide nanotube decreases. To evaluate the corrosion characteristic of the anodized as-prepared electrode, the electrochemical measurement (potentiostatic) was studied in a physiological saline solution. The results show high corrosion resistance of the anodized electrode. The successful preparation of these titanium dioxide nanotube electrodes offers high corrosion resistance and wetting controllability for bio-microfluidic device applications.