Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Thin Films on Al Alloys

Using anodized 6061 aluminum alloy and pure aluminum as the templates, TiO2 thin films were prepared through a liquid deposition method. The TiO2 thin film fabricated on the 6061 aluminum alloy substrates appears as bamboo-like structures with holes, whereas that prepared on anodized pure aluminum substrate has one-dimensional tubular structures. The main reason is that magnesium in aluminum alloy is oxidized to form magnesium oxide which has a lower volume than that of Al2O3. The photocatalytic ability of the TiO2 films prepared on the aluminum alloy is superior to that of the films fabricated on the pure aluminum. TiO2 prepared on aluminum alloy has higher specific surface area due to its bamboo-like structures with holes, leading to better performance in the degradation of methylene blue. The photocatalytic performance of the TiO2 by the degradation of aqueous methylene blue is in accordance with the first kinetic equation. TiO2 films deposited in 0.1 mol/L (NH4) TiF6 solution obtain the best photocatalytic performance at apparent reaction rate of 0.00444/min.