Vertically ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were synthesized by anodic oxidation of titanium foil in glycerol, ethylene glycol and water-based electrolytes. The effect of electrolyte composition, anodization voltage, ultrasonic treatment and calcination time on the morphology of the resulting thin films, as well as on their photocatalytic activity in toluene removal, used as a model volatile organic compound, was investigated. Toluene,...

Nitrogen doped TiO2 nanotube arrays were prepared by anodizing Ti foils in an organic electrolyte containing specified amounts of urea as nitrogen precursor. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by analyzing the degradation kinetics of phenol in water. The influence of tubes’ length, tubes’ surface morphology and amount of nitrogen in the TiO2 lattice on hydroxyl radical formation efficiency, photocatalytic...

A series of Er-, Yb-, Ho-, Tb-, Gd-, Pr-TiO2 nanotubes (RE-NTs) was prepared via an electrochemical method. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and luminescent spectroscopy. The experiments demonstrated that toluene in the gas phase was successfully degraded under visible light (LEDs λmax = 465...