Nanotube Array Photoelectrodes Research Articles

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of m-chloronitrobenzene through rGO/g-C3N4/TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrode under visible light: Performance, DFT calculation and mechanism

The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology by combing photocatalysis and electrochemistry has attracted widespread concerns in the organic pollutant degradation due to its effective degradation performance. TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) can be used not only as photocatalyst but also as electrode and is regarded as a popular photoelectrode in PEC system. However, the fast photogenerated carrier recombination and low visible light utilization of TNAs restrict practical application of PEC technology for organic pollutant degradation. In this work, the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were loaded on TNAs surface to prepare ternary photoelectrode (rGO/g-C3N4/TNAs) for PEC degradation of m-chloronitrobenzene (m-CNB) under visible light. The surface structure and composition analysis revealed that rGO and g-C3N4 were successfully deposited on TNAs surface. The good light absorption capacity of g-C3N4 and good conductivity of rGO inhibited the photogenerated carrier recombination of TNAs and g-C3N4. The rGO/g-C3N4/TNAs prepared with 60 mg/L graphene oxide (rGO/g-C3N4/TNAs-60) possessed wider visible-light absorption range, higher carrier density and photoconversion efficiency than other as-prepared photoelectrodes, which promoted PEC degradation efficiency of m-CNB. The cyclic degradation experiment indicated that rGO/g-C3N4/TNAs-60 photoelectrode had good reusability and stability. The radical scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra demonstrated that OH, O2– and h+ were major active species, and e− was auxiliary species for PEC degradation of m-CNB by rGO/g-C3N4/TNAs-60. The degradation pathways of m-CNB were proposed according to gas chromatography mass spectra and density functional theory calculation. The comprehensive toxicity of m-CNB was relieved after PEC degradation according to the toxicity prediction.

Visible-light-driven photoelectrocatalytic degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene by BiOBr/TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrodes: Mechanisms, degradation pathway and DFT calculation

The BiOBr modified TiO2 nanotube arrays (BiOBr/TNAs) photoelectrodes were prepared for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) under visible light irradiation. The surface structure analysis demonstrated that BiOBr nanoflakes were successfully deposited on the TNAs surface to form tight heterojunction. The BiOBr/TNAs photoelectrodes showed higher PEC degradation efficiency for p-CNB (71.96%) than that by bare TNAs (41.52%) owing to the improved visible-light absorption and reduced charges recombination. The hydroxyl radical and photogenerated holes were the main active species responsible for degradation, dechlorination and mineralization of p-CNB. The coexistence of dissolved anions and humic acid could decline p-CNB removal due to the radical scavengers or competition for active sites. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the matched energy bands between BiOBr and TiO2 formed an internal electric field at the heterojunction interface, which promoted the charges migration and separation. The degradation mechanism and pathways of p-CNB were proposed based on the radical scavenging experiments, GC-MS spectra and theoretical calculations. The toxicity of identified intermediates from p-CNB was declined after PEC degradation.

Intrinsically Ru-Doped Suboxide TiO2 Nanotubes for Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic H2 Generation

In the present research, we investigate the synergistic effects of Ru-doping and Ar/H2 reduction treatment on the photoelectrochemical water splitting performance and hydrogen evolution rate of TiO2 nanotube array photoelectrodes. The Ti–Ru alloy with 0.2 at. % Ru was used to grow anodic self-organized Ru-doped TiO2 nanotube layers. An ideal synergy between Ar/H2 reduction treatment and Ru-doping results in the extended absorption toward the visible light region and improved photoelectrocatalytic activity. The black Ru-doped TiO2–x photoanode’s water splitting rate improves remarkably (∼ninefold) compared to the black TiO2–x sample (∼twofold). Moreover, the black Ru-doped TiO2–x photoanode shows a considerable increase in the H2 production rate (1.91 μmol h–1 cm–2) compared with the pristine TiO2 nanotube layer (0.044 μmol h–1 cm–2). We have also developed an ab initio model of pristine, Ru-doped, and Ru-doped hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes to rationalize our experimental findings from the theoretical perspective.

Preparation of ternary reduced graphene oxide/BiOBr/TiO2 nanotube arrays for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene under visible light irradiation

The fast recombination of photogenerated charges, low utilization of visible light and difficult recyclability of photocatalysts limit the practical application of photocatalysis technology. Therefore, ternary reduced graphene oxide/BiOBr/TiO2 nanotube arrays (GB/TNAs) photoelectrodes were prepared for the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) under visible light irradiation. The internal interaction among different semiconductors demonstrated that the successful fabrication of ternary heterojunction. The photoelectrochemical properties showed that GB/TNAs exhibited higher visible-light absorption property and lower charges recombination than bare TNAs. The p-CNB degradation rate by GB/TNAs reached 0.0055 min−1, which was 3.93 times than that by TNAs (0.0014 min−1). The GB/TNAs effectively solved the recovery of powdered catalysts, and had excellent PEC stability for p-CNB. The coexistence of dissolved anions and humic acid could decline the p-CNB degradation owing to the competition for active sites or behave as the active radical scavengers. The radical quenching experiments and electron spin resonance spectra revealed that the hydroxyl radical and photogenerated holes were the main active species responsible for the degradation, dechlorination and mineralization of p-CNB. The as-prepared GB/TNAs photoelectrodes display a great potential for the degradation of emerging organic contaminants in wastewater.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of p-chloronitrobenzene by g-C3N4/TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrodes under visible light irradiation

As a typical refractory pollutant, p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) from industrial wastewater poses a serious threat to the aquatic environment safety and human health. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology is regarded as a promising and cleaner approach for p-CNB removal. Therefore, the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) modified TiO2 nanotube arrays (g-C3N4/TNAs) were prepared as the photoelectrodes for p-CNB degradation. The PEC degradation efficiency for p-CNB by g-C3N4/TNAs (0.00484 min−1) was much higher than that by bare TNAs (0.00135 min−1) under visible light. The g-C3N4/TNAs photoelectrodes exhibited excellent visible-light response, efficient charges separation and high redox potentials of electron/hole, which was favorable for p-CNB degradation. The radical scavenging experiments indicated that both reductive electrons and oxidized species (holes and ·OH) played crucial roles simultaneously during the dechlorination process, whereas the mineralization of p-CNB mainly depended on the photo-generated holes and ·OH. The degradation pathways of p-CNB were proposed through GC/MS spectra. The acute toxicity, bioaccumulation factor and mutagenicity of identified intermediates were reduced after PEC degradation by g-C3N4/TNAs photoelectrodes. The Z-scheme g-C3N4/TNAs provided an efficient approach for simultaneous dechlorination and mineralization of refractory pollutants.

Enhanced charge generation and transfer performance of the conical bamboo-like TiO2 nanotube arrays photo-electrodes in quantum dot sensitized solar cells

Conical bamboo-like TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) electrodes, instead of the traditional TiO2 NTs and conical TiO2 NTs electrodes, are employed as the photo-electrodes for the fabrication of CuInS2 quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs), which have improved deposition content of QDs in solar cells. The distances between each bamboo ring are modulated by the different anodization holding times. In addition, the optical properties of different TiO2 NTs electrodes and CuInS2 quantum dots sensitized photo-electrodes are investigated, which reveals that the deposition content of QDs have been improved by the bamboo rings of conical bamboo-like TiO2 NTs based photo-electrodes to obtain better optical absorption property and charge separation property. More importantly, the bamboo rings in the conical bamboo-like TiO2 NTs structure can provide more paths for the charge transfer, which results in improved charge transfer rate in the QDSSCs. Finally, the optimized conical bamboo-like TiO2 NTs prepared by anodization holding time of 20 min exhibits higher current density, which leads to a significant increasing of the photovoltaic conversion efficiency from 4.65% to 5.98%.

Fabrication of rGO and g-C3N4 co-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrodes with enhanced photocatalytic performance

To enhance the photocatalytic performance of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and reduce the photocorrosion of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), two-dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and g-C3N4 co-modified three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 nanotube arrays (rGO@g-C3N4/TNAs) photoelectrodes were fabricated by the combination of impregnation, annealing and electrochemical cathode deposition. The micromorphology and microstructure were observed by SEM and TEM. The crystalline structure and element composition were characterized by XRD, XPS and Raman spectra. The optical and photo-electrochemical properties were analyzed by UV–vis DRS, open circuit potential and photocurrent density. Results indicated that g-C3N4 and rGO were successfully loaded on the surface of the TNAs photoelectrodes and formed rGO@g-C3N4/TNAs heterostructure. The photocatalytic activity of the photoelectrodes was evaluated by the degradation rate of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under xenon lamp irradiation. The introduction of g-C3N4 and rGO reduced the band gap of TNAs photoelectrodes and promoted the separation of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. The rGO@g-C3N4/TNAs photoelectrodes exhibited higher photo-electrochemical properties and photocatalytic activity. The removal rate of TC by rGO@g-C3N4/TNAs photoelectrodes could reach 90% under 120 min photo-degradation and reaction kinetic constant was 2.38 times that of TNAs photoelectrodes. The active radicals capture and ESR experiments results showed that O2− radical and OH radical played the major role in photocatalytic degradation of TC. The possible photocatalytic mechanism of rGO@g-C3N4/TNAs photoelectrodes was presented.

Excellent photoelectrocatalytic degradation and superior charge separation of polyaniline nanosheets wrapped TiO2 nanotube arrays

Polyaniline (PANI) nanosheet wrapped TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrode (PANI/TiO2) was prepared by simple anodic oxidation method followed with a vacuum assisted impregnation. The PANI nanosheets are tightly coated on TiO2 nanotubes with higher photo-response and superior charge separation efficiency than TiO2. The photocurrent density of PANI/TiO2-0.1 is 0.73 times higher than that of TiO2. The PEC degradation activity of phenol over PANI/TiO2-0.1 is 27.7% higher than that of TiO2. Synergetic effect of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis on PANI/TiO2 photoelectrode was created.

Synthesis of SnS/TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its high photoelectrocatalytic performance for elimination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol

In this study, SnS decorated TiO2 nano-tube array (SnS/TiO2 NTAs) photoelectrode, which was applied for degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol under simulated visible light illumination, was synthesized by anodization combined with electrodeposition strategy. Afterwards, series of the systematical physicochemical properties were measured. Results show that SnS/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode exhibited improved visible light range of 650 nm and transient photocurrent density of 0.119 mA cm−2, as well as higher photo-generated charge separation efficiency, because of the synergistic effect between TiO2 and SnS. Also, the enhanced charge separation and photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) mechanism were further confirmed by photoluminescence spectroscopy and visible light assisted PEC efficiency for degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. It is worth mentioning that SnS/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode displayed excellent stability and reusability, for the degradation efficiency of repeated experiments were all over 90% after 5 runs. All these results indicated SnS/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode has great potential for the degradation of organic pollutants in waste water treatment.

Synthesis of 3D Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs photocatalytic system and its high visible light driven photocatalytic performance for organic compound degradation

In the present study, Bi2S3/TiO2 nano-tube arrays (Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs) photoelectrode was fabricated by anodization and electrodeposition strategy. Besides, the deposition time and electric current density during photoelectrode construction process was optimized as 90 min and −0.8 A⋅cm−2, MB removal and mineralization efficiency within 30 min was 82.3% and 57.4%, severally. Afterwards, physicochemical properties of the resulting Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs were studied through SEM, XRD, XPS and DRS measurements. Photoelectrochemical (PECH) performance was determined by transient photocurrent density (TPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results indicated that Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode was constructed successfully and with enhanced photocatalytic performance. Additionally, OH radical and e- played the dominant parts in the photocatalystic process confirmed via scavenging experiments. At last, enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs reaction system was proposed. The consequence would be attributed to the special 3D microstructure formation and the construction of Z-scheme photocatalytic system of Bi2S3/TiO2 NTAs, which both could improve photocatalytic performance via effective photogenerated electron-hole separation and electron transfer process.

Engineering Bi2S3/BiOI p-n heterojunction to sensitize TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrodes for highly efficient solar cells and photocatalysts

To significantly improve the solar harvesting and electron transportation, Bi2S3/BiOI p-n heterojunctions were successfully formed on the surface of TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs/Bi2S3-BiOI) by a simple solvothermal method, and the morphology, composition and photoelectrochemical property of the TiO2 NTs/Bi2S3-BiOI were investigated by adjusting the concentration ratio of sulphur/iodonium. TiO2 NTs/Bi2S3-BiOI nanosheets and nanorods were prepared, and the self-assembled microflowers were also observed. The results indicated that flower-like TiO2 NTs/Bi2S3-BiOI showed high visible light absorption, photocurrent density and rapid photoelectrocatalytic removal of organic dyes and Cr(VI). The growth and photocatalytic mechanism were proposed to illuminate the high photoelectrochemical performances. The excellent photoelectrochemical activities drive the TiO2 NTs/Bi2S3/BiOI being superior environmental and energy materials in the applications of wastewater purification and solar cells.

Hierarchical architectures of wrinkle-like ZnFe2O4 nanosheet-enwrapped ZnO nanotube arrays for remarkably photoelectrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen

In this study, we show for the first time a hierarchical ZnO/ZnFe2O4 nanotube array photoanode for water splitting to produce hydrogen. In this photoanode, the wrinkle-like ZnFe2O4 nanosheets (NSs) are grown onto ZnO nanotube arrays through adsorption and annealing reaction. The hierarchical ZnO/ZnFe2O4 nanotube array photoanode exhibits outstanding PEC water splitting to produce hydrogen due to the remarkable visible-light harvesting ability and the large surface area of wrinkle-like ZnFe2O4 NSs. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the hierarchical ZnO/ZnFe2O4 nanotube arrays (NTAs) achieve a remarkably enhanced photocurrent density of 1.3 mA/cm2, which is 2.2-fold higher than that of pristine ZnO NTAs at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl. Moreover, the hydrogen production rate of the hierarchical ZnO/ZnFe2O4 nanotube array photoanode is 3.6-fold higher than that of pristine ZnO nanotube array photoelectrode at 0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl.

Photocatalytic degradation performance and mechanism of dibutyl phthalate by graphene/TiO2 nanotube array photoelectrodes

Graphene loaded TiO2 nanotube array (GR/TNA) photoelectrodes were prepared by using anodization and electrodeposition approaches. The effects of different pH values, anions, bias potentials and electron acceptors on the photocatalytic activity of GR/TNA photoelectrodes in the degradation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were systematically investigated. Enhanced DBP removal ratio of 87.9% was achieved by GR/TNA photoelectrodes after 90 min of illumination. As a result, with the increase of initial pH values, the DBP removal ratio was also gradually increased. The addition of anions negatively affect the photocatalytic degradation of DBP by the order of NO3− > HCO3− > SO42− > Cl−. After applying a bias potential of +1.0 V, the highest DBP removal ratio of 98% was obtained. In addition, the presence of electron acceptors, KBrO3, K2S2O8 and H2O2, improved the photocatalytic activity of GR/TNA photoelectrodes. Furthermore, to better understand the underlying pathways in the photocatalytic degradation of DBP, the involved reactive species and produced intermediates were detected and analyzed. The major reactive species involved in this system were testified to be hydroxyl, superoxide radicals and holes by performing trapping experiments. The possible mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation of DBP was also proposed and discussed in detail.

Probing plasmonic Ag nanoparticles on TiO2 nanotube arrays electrode for efficient solar water splitting

Decoration of semiconductors with plasmonic nanoparticles provides a new direction for efficient solar water splitting for hydrogen production. Herein, Ag nanoparticles as the plasmonic metal were electrodeposited on a TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTA) photoelectrode by controlling deposition-charge density. The resulting Ag/TNTA electrode with 10–50 nm diameter Ag nanoparticles exhibited a higher photocurrent density and hydrogen production rate than a bare TNTA electrode under AM 1.5 irradiation. The origins of this enhancement were explored by analyzing the photoelectrochemical behaviors with the relevant optical properties. The absorption of these Ag/TNTA electrodes in the visible light region increased owing to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of the Ag nanoparticles, and only low photocurrent densities under visible light irradiation were observed. The overall enhancement is owing to the greater incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency in the 300–400 nm range that is more dependent on the interfacial charge transfer from TNTA to Ag nanoparticles. The localized electronic field of the SPR also reduces the electron transport time in the Ag/TNTA electrodes.

Construction of CuS/TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its enhanced visible light photoelectrocatalytic decomposition and mechanism of penicillin G

In this present work, a CuS/TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode employed in environment purification was successfully prepared by an anodization process, with galvanostatic electrodeposition strategy as following method. Meanwhile, morphologies and chemical structures of the resulting photoelectrodes were studied by series of measurements. The results indicated that CuS nanoparticles were successfully assembled on the surface of well-ordered TiO2 nano-tube arrays, which has significantly enhanced the photoelectrocatalyic activity by red-shifting the light absorption to visible region and increasing the photoinduced charge separation efficiency. What's more, when external potential was applied, CuS/TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode displayed superior photoelectrocatalyic performance for elimination of penicillin G (99.1%) within 150 min visible light illumination. Moreover, the visible light photoelectrocatalyic degradation pathways of PEN G were proposed based on the HPLC-MS/MS measurements, which included decarboxylation and oxidation of the target organic, and finally mineralization to H2O, CO2, NH4+ and NO3−. This study demonstrated that the novel CuS/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode showed excellent PEC activity, which had great potential in applications of environmental remediation.

Preparation of 3D TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrode on Ti mesh for photoelectric conversion and photoelectrocatalytic removal of pollutant

Abstract The 3D TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were prepared by the anodization of Ti meshes via adjusting the anodization voltage. The anodization voltage between 15 and 60 V could form the uniform tubular structures revolving around Ti wires, and the diameter and length increased with the increasement of voltages. The results indicated that the anatase TiO2 NTs (30) prepared with the andization voltage of 30 V showed excellent solar photocurrent, photovoltage, interface impedance and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) efficiencies for the removal of dye molecules and Cr(VI) heavy metal ions. The TiO2 NTs (30) sample with the average diameter of 70 nm and thickness of 4.56 μm showed photocurrent density of 1.63 mA/cm2, photovoltage of −0.36 V/cm2 and removal efficiencies of 71.31%, 51.39%, 98.07% and 48.26% for the PEC removal of methyl orange (MO), Rhodamine B (RhB), methyl blue (MB) and Cr(VI), respectively. The excellent photoelectrochemical propery of TiO2 NTs (30) could be attributed to the effective pollutant adsorption and carrier transportation. This flexible photoelectrode would cause intense attention in the applications of solar cells, pollutant degradation, photolysis of water, and gas sensor.

Enhanced Photocurrent of Titania Nanotube Photoelectrode Decorated with CdS Nanoparticles

In this work, CdS/TiO2 nanotubes composite nanofilms were successfully synthesized via electrodeposition technique. TiO2 titania nanotube arrays (NTAs) are commonly used in photoelectrochemical cells as the photoelectrode due to their high surface area, excellent charge transfer between interfaces and fewer interfacial grain boundaries. The anodization technique of titanium foil was used to prepare TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode. The concentration of CdCl2 played an important role in the formation of CdS nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows that the CdS nanoparticles were well deposited onto the outer and inner of nanotube at 40 mM of CdCl2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses were executed for the determination of the composition and crystalline structure of the synthesized samples. Furthermore, the data of EDX confirms the formation of titanium and oxygen for TiO2 nanotubes and cadmium and sulfide for CdS deposits. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) displayed that CdS nanoparticle which deposited onto TiO2 NTAs causes a red-shift into the visible region. CdS/TiO2 NTAs sample prepared at 40 mM of CdCl2 showed maximum photocurrent of 1.745 mA cm-2 while the bare TiO2 NTAs showed 0.026 mA cm-1.

Construction of Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic decomposition of diclofenac

This work shows results of our investigation on Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode photodegradation properties to diclofenac with visible light illumination. The composite photoelectrode has been synthesized by ultrasound-precipitation strategy and characterized through scanning electrons microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, photoelectrochemical and visible photocatalytic activity properties of as-prepared samples were investigated to prove the fact. Compared with pure TiO2 NTAs, Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode possesses the enhancement of light absorbance in the visible region and a lower recombination rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, so that it performed a better visible light photocatalytic property. Additionally, prepared Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode has well recyclability. On the basis of electrochemical, fluorescence spectra and photoluminescence, the photocatalytic performance enhancement mechanism for Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTAs was put forward.

Ultrasound assisted fabrication of AgBr/TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its enhanced visible photocatalytic performance and mechanism for detoxification of 4-chlorphenol

Abstract In the present work, narrow band gap AgBr nano-particle decorated TiO2 nanotubes arrays (AgBr/TiO2 NTAs) photoelectrode was successfully fabricated through anodization, followed by ultrasonic assisted precipitation process. Subsequently, morphologies and chemical structures were investigated through scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, the optical and photoelectrochemical (PECH) properties were recorded through Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), transient photocurrent density and Mott-Schottky measurements. Furthermore, the photocatalytic (PC) efficiency was evaluated through the yield of hydroxyl ( OH) radicals and degradation of 4-CP under visible light illumination. All results indicated that as-fabricated AgBr/TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode displayed superior PC performance, which was mainly ascribed to the intense visible light absorbance and high charge separation efficiency. Moreover, the intermediates and toxification change during PC degradation of 4-CP were elucidated according to the UPLC-MS/MS measurement and luminescent bacterial tests.

A facile strategy to fabricate reduced TiO2 nano-tube arrays photoelectrode and its high visible light photocatalytic performance for detoxification of trichlorophenol solution

Abstract In the research, reduced TiO2 nano-tube arrays (denoted as R-TiO2 NTAs) photoelectrode was successfully fabricated by potassium borohydride (PBH) reduction treatment. Afterwards, the as-fabricated photoelectrode was characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and electron spin resonance. Meanwhile, the optical and photoelectrochemical properties of R-TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode were also studied through ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and transient photocurrent response, respectively. The photocatalytic (PC) activity of R-TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode was measured by degradation of trichlorophenol (TCP). Moreover, the change of toxic intermediates in the process of degradation TCP was further evaluated by photobacterium inhibition tests. Results suggested that an impurity level can be induced in the TiO2 NTAs band gap by solution reduction treatment due to the generation of Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies (Ov). Furthermore, R-TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode exhibited higher PC activities than that of pristine TiO2 NTAs owing to the enhancement of visible light harvesting between 450 and 800 nm and separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons-holes (e/h+) pairs. The possible pathway for TCP degradation and photocatalytic mechanism were also proposed and confirmed. Furthermore, R-TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode displayed good stability and reusability.