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Self-cleaning characteristics on a thin-film surface with nanotube arrays of anodic titanium oxide

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Abstract

Self-cleaning of a surface of nanotube arrays of anodic titanium oxide (ATO) is demonstrated. The ATO was prepared in fluoride ion containing sulfate electrolytes with a structure of 0.4 μm length, 100 nm pores diameter, 120 nm interpore distance, 25 nm pore wall thickness, a 8×109 pores cm−2 pore density, and 68.2% porosity. Prepared as thin films either directly from a Ti foil or on a glass substrate, these arrays have the property that water drops spread quickly over the surface of the films without irradiation. In contrast, a flat anatase TiO2 film requires irradiation with UV light for several minutes before the contact angle decreases to zero. The observed self-cleaning behavior of the ATO thin films is due to the capillary effect of the nanochannel structure and the superhydrophilic property of the anatase TiO2 surface inside the tube.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, 30010, Taiwan

    Chien-Chon Chen & Eric Wei-Guang Diau

  2. Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, 30010, Taiwan

    Jin-Shyong Lin & Tzeng-Feng Liu

Authors
  1. Chien-Chon Chen
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  2. Jin-Shyong Lin
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  3. Eric Wei-Guang Diau
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  4. Tzeng-Feng Liu
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Correspondence to Eric Wei-Guang Diau.

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Chen, CC., Lin, JS., Diau, E.WG. et al. Self-cleaning characteristics on a thin-film surface with nanotube arrays of anodic titanium oxide. Appl. Phys. A 92, 615–620 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4546-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4546-7

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