Superior performance of plasma treated water as an anodizing electrolyte for producing nanoporous titanium dioxide nanotubes

• Published in: Plasma processes and polymers 2017-12, Vol.14 (12), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Ambujakshan, Arun T., Pringle, Jennifer M., Corr, Cormac S., Chen, Zhiqiang, du Plessis, Johan, Hodgson, Peter D., Dai, Xiujuan J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: amorphous; anodization; Anodizing; Chemical industry; electrolyte; Electrolytes; Foils; Hydrogen peroxide; nanoporous TiO2 nanotubes; Nanotubes; Nitric acid; Plasma; plasma treatment; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; Titanium oxides
• ISSN: 1612-8850; 1612-8869
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.201700054

An environmentally friendly electrolyte for the synthesis of titanium dioxide nanotubes by anodization is presented. Plasma treatment of de‐ionized water produces some important reactive species such as nitrate and hydrogen peroxide. This plasma‐treated water serves as an efficient electrolyte in the formation of titanium dioxide nanotubes during anodization. In order to further understand the roles of nitrate and hydrogen peroxide, titanium foil was anodized in plasma treated water containing nitrate or/and hydrogen peroxide as well as in its equivalent solution made by adding nitric acid and/or hydrogen peroxide to water. It was found that the plasma treated water containing both nitrate and hydrogen peroxide produced more uniform arrays of highly crystalline titanium dioxide nanotubes than produced in the aqueous solution made with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Argon plasma followed by air plasma discharge produced both NO3− and H2O2 in water, that assisted in forming uniformly sized TiO2 nanotubes. While aqueous solution of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide form unevenly porous structure.