Nanoporous TiO2/polyaniline composite films with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties

• Nanoporous TiO2/PANI composite films.
• Chemical interactions between PANI and TiO2 in these composites.
• TO2/PANI composites exhibited 2.5 times higher photocurrent than that of pristine TiO2.

Nanoporous TiO2 films were prepared on Ti foil by an electrochemical anodic oxidation method, and then deposited polyaniline (PANI) on the surface of TiO2 by cyclic voltammetry (CV). A chemical interaction between PANI and TiO2 was evidenced by several characterization techniques. After the deposition of PANI, the photocurrent enhanced from 3.18×10−5 A/cm2 to 8.15×10−5 A/cm2, and the composite films exhibited good stability over 3 months. The enhanced photocurrent can be attributed to the synergic effect between PANI and TiO2 which promoted the charge separation efficiently.