Publication 787

RSC Adv., 5, 95038-95046, 2015 DOI:10.1039/C5RA13848E
TiO2 nanofibers supported on Ti sheets prepared by hydrothermal corrosion: effect of the microstructure on their photochemical and photoelectrochemical properties

Faculté des Sciences, Université 20 Août 1955 de Skikda, Skikda, Algeria
Interfaces Traitement Organisation et DYnamique des Systèmes, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR-7086, 15 rue Jean-Antoine de Baïf 75205, Paris, France
National Polytechnic School of Constantine, Constantine, Algeria
Laboratoire d’Electrochimie Moléculaire, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR-7591, Paris, France

TiO₂/Ti nanostructures were synthesized by the hydrothermal route. Based on the operating conditions, namely the heating time and temperature, the microstructure of the produced titania was successfully varied from very thick and short nanofibers to very thin and long nanowires. UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy also evidenced a net dependency of the optical properties of the produced semiconducting films, and consequently their photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic activity, to their synthesis conditions. Typically, the photodegradation of methylene blue in water under UV irradiation as well as the oxidation of water without additional bias were assessed and showed different efficiencies according the type of tested film.