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Selective electrodeposition of Ni into the intertubular voids of anodic TiO2 nanotubes for improved photocatalytic properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

Fengxia Liang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Jie Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Lingxia Zheng
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Chun-Kwan Tsang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hui Li
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, China; and USTC-CityU Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou, Jiangsu215123, China
Shiwei Shu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hua Cheng
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Yang Yang Li*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; and USTC-CityU Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou, Jiangsu215123, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

We report on Ni-modified TiO2 nanotubes with improved photocatalytic properties. Using the as-anodized TiO2 nanotubes as templates, Ni was electrodeposited using pulsed current waveforms. It was found that the Ni deposition was first initiated at the bottoms of the intertubular voids and then grew upward, resulting in a Ni/TiO2 coaxial nanostructure with Ni wrapping around the TiO2 nanotubes. Moreover, the tube inside was kept empty and tube openings unclogged for the fabricated Ni/TiO2 nanocomposites. Further photodegradation tests using methyl red revealed that the fabricated Ni/TiO2 nanocomposites possess higher photocatalytic efficiency than the counterparts of pristine TiO2 nanotubes. The observed improved photocatalytic efficiency is ascribed to the Schottky barriers formed between Ni and TiO2.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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