What is it about?
The oxidation power and the relatively good chemical stability of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) are one of the most important characteristics to make it suitable for applications in water purification and for designing and construction of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC or Grätzel solar cells). TiO2 is a photocatalyst semiconductor, which is activated in presence of ultraviolet radiation. TiO2 nanotubular films have been used in advance oxidation processes in order to photo-degrade a dye aqueous solution (methyl orange).
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Why is it important?
The TiO2 nano-tubular with vertical structures arrays, with a sealed bottom and an open pore at the top surface present a very important increase in its area/volume parameter, hence the photocatalytic process will have a major water degradation efficiency. Aditionally, it is important to mention that TiO2 is biodegradable, non-toxic and non-expensive material, which can be used in many multidisciplinary applications.
Perspectives
Due to their versatile properties, TiO2 nanotubular films have proven to be a good option in applications such as electronic, environmental, medicine, photo-voltaic devices, dentistry implants, photocatalytic process and many others. Nowadays, there could be many other possible applications in technological and scientific subjects, for instance in the degradation of emergent contaminants (pharmaceuticals) of waste waters from hospitals. The water contamination from hospitals is an actual challenge around the world, and TiO2 nanotubular arrays is a promising nanomaterial, which can be used as photocatalyst using UV light in advance oxidation processes as primary or secondary processes among others.
Cecilia Cuevas Arteaga
Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: TiO2 nanotubular films obtained in mixed organic-inorganic electrolyte and their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic behavior, MRS Advances, January 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1557/adv.2017.537.
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