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Enhanced photocatalytic behaviour of KOH treated TiO2 nanotubes via electrochemical anodization process

SYAZWAN HANANI BINTI MERIAM SUHAIMY1,2, SYAZWAN HANANI BINTI MERIAM SUHAIMY,3, SHARIFAH BEE ABD HAMID1,* , CHIN WEI LAI1, MD. RAKIBUL HASAN1, MOHD RAFIE JOHAN2

Affiliation

  1. Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  2. Nanomaterials Engineering Research Groups, Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  3. Faculty of Science, Technology and Human Development, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, UTHM, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat 86400, Johor, Malaysia

Abstract

TiO2 nanotube arrays have attracted great interest as the promising candidate for photcatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. In the present study, the incorporation of 1.6wt% of 1M potassium hydroxide in a fluorinated-ethylene glycol electrolyte could fabricate a high aspect ratio (≈ 21) TiO2 nanotube arrays film via electrochemical anodization technique at 30V for 1 hour. Theoretically, the growth of TiO2 nanotube arrays and their photocatalytic activity could further improved by simple addition of an optimum content of potassium hydroxide into the fluorinated-ethylene glycol electrolyte. It was believed that the presence of optimum content of potassium species into the lattice of TiO2 acted as electron acceptor to enhance the transportation of charge carriers, where the photo-induced electron-hole pairs transfer by excitation separated electrons and holes effectively under illumination. Based on the results obtained, the modified potassium-loaded TiO2 nanotube film exhibited high photocurrent density of 0.57 mA/cm2 and showed high photocatalytic degradation of 5ppm methyl orange dye (100%) after 10 minutes irradiation time..

Keywords

TiO2 nanotube arrays, Anodization, Photocatalytic activity, Photodegradation, Potassium hydroxide.

Citation

SYAZWAN HANANI BINTI MERIAM SUHAIMY, SYAZWAN HANANI BINTI MERIAM SUHAIMY,, SHARIFAH BEE ABD HAMID, CHIN WEI LAI, MD. RAKIBUL HASAN, MOHD RAFIE JOHAN, Enhanced photocatalytic behaviour of KOH treated TiO2 nanotubes via electrochemical anodization process, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 9, 11-12, November-December 2015, pp.1462-1468 (2015).

Submitted at: Sept. 29, 2015

Accepted at: Oct. 28, 2015