Electrochemical Synthesis of TiO2 Photocatalyst with Anodic Porous Alumina

Aluminum was anodized in a H2SO4 solution, and titanium (IV) oxide (TiO2) was electrodeposited into nanopores of anodic porous alumina in a mixed solution of TiOSO4 and (COOH)(2). The photocatalytic activity of the prepared film was analyzed for photodegradation of methylene blue aqueous solution. Consequently, we found it was possible to electrodeposit TiO2 onto anodic porous alumina, and synthesized it into the nanopores by hydrolysis of a titanium complex ion under AC 8-9 V when film thickness was about 15-20 mu m. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2-loaded anodic porous alumina (TiO2/ Al2O3) at an impressed voltage of 9 V was the highest in every condition, being about 12 times as high as sol-gel TiO2 on anodic porous alumina. The results revealed that anodic porous alumina is effective as a substrate for photocatalytic film and that high-activity TiO2 film can be prepared at low cost.