TiO2 Nanotube Photocatalyst Research Articles

Preparation and Characterization of Anodized Pt-TiO2 Nanotube Arrays for Water Splitting

Self-organized TiO2 nanotube-layers were formed by the electrochemical anodization of Ti in an HF electrolyte. The nanotube layers were then treated at different temperatures (300–600°C) in the air. Platinum was doped on the TiO2 nanotube layer by e-beam sputtering. The samples were characterized by EDX, BET, XPS, SEM, XRD and photoelectrochemistry. The results clearly showed the successful Pt-doping of the TiO2 nanotubes. The photocatalytic evolution of H2 due to the decomposition of water in the alkaline solution was investigated using the Pt–TiO2 nanotubes as a photocatalyst and iodide ions in the form of KI as a redox mediator. The results showed that the Pt–TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst generated H2 successfully.

Preparation of a Novel TiO2-Based p−n Junction Nanotube Photocatalyst

TiO2 nanotube semiconductors contain free spaces in their interior that can be filled with active materials such as chemical compounds, enzymes, and noble metals, giving them a fundamental advantage over colloids. Although the unique shape of semiconductor nanotubes makes them promising for a range of potential applications, significant developmental research is required. In this research, a novel TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst was prepared that has a p-n junction. The photocatalyst particle surface is physically divided into reduction and oxidation surfaces, which poses a potential driving force for the transport of photogenerated charge carriers. The structure of this nanotube catalyst was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The catalyst activity was evaluated by coating the catalyst on HEPA filters and determining the destruction rate of toluene in air. The p-n junction nanotube catalyst was shown to have a much higher photocatalytic destruction rate than that of commercially available, nonnanotube structured material, and a higher destruction rate for nanotube catalysts that did not contain a p-n junction.