Photo(electro)catalytic Activity of Cu2+-Modified TiO2 Nanorod Array Thin Films under Visible Light Irradiation


Kerkez O., Boz I.

JOURNAL OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF SOLIDS, vol.75, no.5, pp.611-618, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

Abstract

In the present study, a two-step method was applied to synthesise Cu2 þ -modi?ed TiO2 nanorod array 
thin ?lms for photocatalytic processes. TiO2 nanorod array thin ?lms were synthesised by a 
hydrothermal method and then modi?ed with an ultrasonic-assisted sequential cation adsorption 
method. The samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse re?ectance 
spectra (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and 
inductively coupled plasma mass spectro- scopy (ICP-MS) analysis. The photoelectrochemical 
properties of the samples were evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry and Mott–Schottky analysis; 
photocatalytic activities were tested by methylene blue degradation under visible light. The 
photocurrent density of the TiO2/FTO sample modi?ed with 50 mM Cu2 þ solution was 26 times higher 
than that of the unmodi?ed TiO2/FTO sample. Additionally, methylene blue degradation ef?ciency 
under visible light was increased 40% with respect to the ef?ciency of the unmodi?ed sample. The 
mechanism of the photocatalytic activity enhancement of Cu2 þ -modi?ed TiO2
lms was discussed.