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Fabrication of titanium dioxide nanotubes in fluoride-free electrolyte via rapid breakdown anodization

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Abstract

This paper presents the study on the growth of bundled titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes via rapid breakdown anodization method by using chloride-based electrolyte. The effects of different ratios of deionized water (DI) to ethylene glycol (EG) on the morphological, structural and photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2 nanotubes generated were investigated. Different ratios of DI:EG showed significant changes on the diameter of nanotube bundles. Besides that, X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that anatase phase of titanium dioxide appeared within the thermally treated samples. Scherrer method was applied to calculate the mean crystallite size of the crystal growth in this study. The photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotube bundles were characterized by using three-electrode photoelectrochemical cell and showed good photocurrent response and stability.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Exploratory Research Grant Scheme (ERGS: 203/PFIZIK/6730096) for all the technical and financial supports in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Y. L. Cheong, F. K. Yam, S. W. Ng, Z. Hassan & S. S. Ng

  2. Materials Research Group, Department of Applied Physics, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia

    I. M. Low

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  1. Y. L. Cheong
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Correspondence to Y. L. Cheong.

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Cheong, Y.L., Yam, F.K., Ng, S.W. et al. Fabrication of titanium dioxide nanotubes in fluoride-free electrolyte via rapid breakdown anodization. J Porous Mater 22, 1437–1444 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-015-0024-8

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