EFFECT OF ANNEALING TEMPERATURES ON THE CRYSTALLIZATION AND PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF MICRO-NANOPOROUS TiO2 FILMS PRODUCED BY ELECTROCHEMICAL ANODIZATION

In this study, micro-nanoporous TiO2 films were prepared by electrochemical anodization of titanium (Gr-2) in an aqueous solution containing 0.5 wt. % HF solution at a constant potential of 30 V and then annealed in ambient air at 500, 600, 700 and 800 °C for 2 h to obtain crystalline structures. The crystalline phase and surface morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The photocatalytic performances of the samples were evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of aqueous methylene blue (MB) solutions under UV light illumination for different periods. XRD results indicated that at annealing temperatures higher than 600°C, anatase started to transform into rutile. Increasing annealing temperatures resulted in reduced micro-nanopores diameter and increased wall thickness. At 800°C, the structure completely disappeared. The results demonstrated that changes in both the crystalline structure and surface morphology have a strong influence on the photoactivity of the nanostructured TiO2 films. © 2018, Turkish Chemical Society. All rights reserved.