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.