Photo-induced properties of anodic oxide films on Ti6Al4V

Abstract Photocatalytic activity and wettability of the anodic oxide layer on Ti6Al4V prepared by anodization in a sulfuric acid electrolyte are explored. The oxide is composed mainly of TiO 2 with V 2 O 5 , VO 2 and Al 2 O 3 . The crystal structure of the TiO 2 varies from anatase to rutile with the sulfuric acid concentration in the electrolyte. Anatase exhibits better photocatalytic activity compared with rutile, which is different from those on Ti and Ti–Nb–Sn alloy. Contact angles of the oxides decrease with ultraviolet light illumination, and hydrophilicity is observed in the rutile oxide. Both photocatalytic activity and hydrophilicity are inferior to the corresponding Ti and Ti–Nb–Sn alloy, which is explained by the presence of Al 2 O 3 in the anodic oxide.