To improve light absorption ability in the visible light region and the efficiency of the charge transfer reaction, Pd nanoparticles decorated with reduced TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst were synthesized. The reduced TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst was fabricated by anodic oxidation of Ti plate, followed by an electrochemical reduction process using applied cathodic potential. For TiO2 photocatalyst electrochemically reduced using an applied voltage of -1.3 V for 10 min, 38% of Ti4+ ions on TiO2 surface were converted to Ti3+ ion. The formation of Ti3+ species leads to the decrease in the band gap energy, resulting in an increase in the light absorption ability in the visible range. To obtain better photocatalytic efficiency, Pd nanoparticles were decorated through photoreduction process on the surface of reduced TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst (r10-TNT). The Pd nanoparticles decorated with reduced TiO2 nanotube photocatalyst exhibited enhanced photocurrent response, and high efficiency and rate constant for aniline blue degradation; these were ascribed to the synergistic effect of the new electronic state of the TiO2 band gap energy induced by formation of Ti3+ species on TiO2, and by improvement of the charge transfer reaction.

Recently, nanotubes have considerably researched because of their novel application about photocatalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), lithium ion battery, etc. In this work, self-standing nanotube arrays were fabricated by anodic oxidation method using pure Ti foil as a working electrode in ethylene glycole with 0.3M + . Growth behavior of nanotube arrays was compared according to temperature, voltage and time. The morphology, structure and crystalline of anodized nanotube arrays were observed by FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscope) and XRD (X-ray diffraction).

Self-standing TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by potentiostatic anodic oxidation method using pure Ti foil as a working electrode and ethylene glycol solution as electrolytes with small addition of NH4F and H2O. The influences of anodization temperature and time on the morphology and formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays were investigated. The fabricated TiO2 nanotube arrays were applied as a photoelectrode to dye-sensitized solar cells. Regardless of anodizing temperature and time, the average diameter and wall thickness of TiO2 nanotube show a similar value, whereas the thickness show a different trend with reaction temperature. The thickness of TiO2 nanotube arrays anodized at 20℃ and 30℃ was time-dependent, but on the other hand its at 10℃ are independent of anodization time. The conversion efficiency is low, which is due to a morphology breaking of the TiO2 nanotube arrays in manufacturing process of photoelectrode.