Hydrothermally Synthesized TiO2 Nanostructures on Ti foil for Visible Light Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tabriz University of Technology, P.O. Box: 51335-1996, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures on titanium foil were synthesized through a hydrothermal procedure, subsequently followed by calcination at temperatures of 500, 600, and 700 °C. The morphological, structural, and optical properties were systematically characterized using SEM, XRD, and DRS analysis. The results indicated that the calcination temperature exerts a substantial influence on the morphology and crystalline phase composition of the TiO2 nanostructures. The calcined TiO2 nanostructure at 600 °C (T(600)) indicated a well-defined and interconnected sheets with porous structure. This architecture enhanced the surface-to-volume ratio, light absorption and scattering, facilitated efficient charge carrier separation and improved molecular accessibility and adsorption for tetracycline (TC) degradation. The T(600) sample exhibited better performance in visible light assisted photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline as compared to T(500) and T(700) samples due to its efficient charge carrier separation and transport in a proper rutile/anatase composition. This sample reached removal efficiency of 56.50%, accompanied by a first-order kinetic rate constant of 0.0058 min⁻¹ under visible light irradiation. The results were attributed visible light absorption by TC and TiO2 nanostructures along with proper charge separation in the appropriate crystalline phase composition of the T(600) sample. These findings underscore the pivotal role of calcination temperature in optimizing TiO2-based photocatalysts for efficient environmental remediation.

Keywords

Main Subjects

© 2025 The Author(s). Progress in Physics of Applied Materials published by Semnan University Press. This is an open access article under the CC-BY 4.0 license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Progress in Physics of Applied Materials
Volume 6, Issue 1 - Serial Number 10
In Progress
January 2026
Pages 15-25

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 26 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 07 August 2025

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