Rapid synthesis of photoactive hydrogenated TiO2 nanoplumes

• Hydrogenated TiO2 nanoplumes were synthesized by rapid chemical etching in H2O2.
• Nanoplumes have an energy gap of about 2.0 eV.
• Nanoplumes show a significant photocatalytic and antibacterial activity under VIS light.
• Defects induced by the etching play a critical role on the photocatalytic activity.

In this study we employed hydrogen peroxide etching of Ti films as a straightforward method to synthesize hydrogenated TiO2 nanoplumes. The material was extensively characterized, showing, among other special features, the inclusion of OH groups. These groups together with the generated structural defects and the nanostructuration are crucial for the high photocatalytic properties under ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) light irradiation. In particular, nanoplumes show a reaction rate about 5 times the rate of TiO2 flat films. Furthermore, nanoplumes display a significant antibacterial activity under VIS light irradiation, compared with TiO2 films.

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