TiO[sub 2]-Based Photoanodes for Cathodic Protection of Copper

Photoelectrochemical investigations on copper coated with a bilayer photoanode bearing the configuration were carried out for finding the suitability of such coatings for a photoaided cathodic protection of copper, that is envisaged as a candidate material for holding high level nuclear waste. An optimization of the heat-treatment temperature of such coatings was also accomplished which showed that a 200°C heat-treatment was sufficient to obtain the desirable photoeffect. The results of the investigation also proved that such bilayer photoanodes are functional for cathodic protection applications in the case of copper only in deaerated conditions and that a continued cathodic protection was possible even in the absence of ultraviolet illumination due to a charge storage of the photogenerated electrons from in which could be slowly released to the metal substrate even after cessation of illumination. © 2005 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.