Photoelectrode FTO/ Anodized TiO2 Production and Characterization for Methylene Blue Affected Photoelectrochemical Decomposition

Abstract

The production of thin film TiO2 nanostructured systems for electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic applications has been an essential topic in recent years. Due to the light-sensitive effect of TiO2, it can be produced by various methods and used as a photoelectrode to remove dye. Using magnetron sputtering, Ti thin films can be deposited on different substrates and converted into transparent TiO2 structures by electrochemical anodization. In this study, the thin Ti film was produced using a magnetic spraying technique on the FTO substrate, and then an anodic TiO2 structure was obtained by the anodization technique. TiO2 films produced by the anodizing technique were used as a photoelectrode for the degradation of MB. The reactor contained 400 mL of 20 mg/L MB solution at 20 °C. The produced photoelectrode was characterized by the SEM/EDS, FTIR, XRD, and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer analyses. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of titanium and oxygen in the FTO/ Anodized TiO2 photoelectrode. The XRD results showed that all the peaks of the produced FTO/ Anodic TiO2 were associated with the anatase phase of TiO2. According to the FTIR spectroscopy, the functional groups of the anodized TiO2 were obtained for the FTO/ Anodized TiO2. The electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic degradation experiments were performed with the degradation of the dye solution of MB on the FTO/ Anodic TiO2 photoelectrode, and the rates of dye degradation were determined as 17.12%, 64.67%, and 82.12%, respectively This study showed that the methylene blue dye of FTO/ Anodic TiO2 is a suitable photoelectrode for electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic degradation.