Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Hydrogenated TiO₂ Nanotubes as Photoanodes for Sensing Applications

In this work, hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes (H-TNTs) electrodes were successfully fabricated via the anodization of a titanium sheet followed by a hydrogenation process. Oxygen vacancies were induced in the crystalline structure of TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) as shallow donors that enhance the electronic conductivity of the TNTs. This improvement in the electronic conductivity and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance was confirmed and evaluated by a photoelectrochemical characterization. Most importantly, the H-TNTs electrode was able to degrade potassium hydrogen phthalate (strong adsorbent) and glucose (weak adsorbent) indiscriminately. The corresponding photocurrents at the H-TNTs were 2-fold greater than that of the TNTs samples for the same concentrations of the organic compounds. This suggests that the H-TNTs electrode can be a promising sensor for the PEC determination of individual organic compounds or as an aggregative parameter of organic compounds (e.g., chemical oxygen demand).