TiO2 coatings prepared by sol-gel and electrochemical methodologies

Abstract

TiO2 is a well-known photocatalyst for water disinfection and decontamination. Usually, it is employed as a powder suspended in the contaminated water. When the system is irradiated with UV light, very reactive species are created, able to transform pollutants in a process called Heterogeneous Photocatalysis. However, the use of particulate TiO2 involves the need of incorporating extra stages in the purification process, such as separation and catalyst recycling. These stages can be avoided by immobilizing TiO2 onto appropriate supports. In this chapter, the comparison in preparation, characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 coatings synthesized by two different techniques, is presented: sol-gel process and anodic oxidation process. In both cases, the influence of the synthesis parameters on the morphology, structure and mechanical and photocatalytic properties was analyzed.