Estimating the degradation of methylethionium chloride dye on nanotubular TiO2 structure

• The photocatalytic activity was estimated in a methylethionium chloride solution.
• “As anodized” and “heat-treated” samples showed oxygen deficient Ti6O and rutile/anatase crystal structure.
• The potentiodynamic scans in methylethionium chloride solution depicted relatively higher Icrit values under illumination than in dark.
• Heated-treated specimens show superior photocatalytic activity than as anodized specimens.
• The UV–vis spectroscopy of heat-treated TiO2 nanotubular structure represented 45.05% photocatalytic efficiency.

In this study the photocatalytic behavior of as-anodized and heat treated surfaces of Ti6Al4V was investigated electrochemically in methylethionium chloride solution in dark and under illumination at 60 W and 100 W. X-ray diffraction pattern of as-anodized surface revealed oxygen deficient Ti6O phase, which was converted to rutile/anatase phases by heat treatment in air. Potentiodynamic scans showed variation in current density during anodic polarization due to the electronic traps within sub-band energy states by the amorphous nature of as formed structure hence lower catalytic activity than heat-treated specimen. Impedance spectroscopy of heat-treated surface in dye solution under dark and light depicted lower charge transfer resistance, recombination admittance and higher charge transfer coefficient than as-anodized. The UV–vis spectroscopy of heat treated TiO2 nanotubular structure represented 45.05% photocatalytic efficiency.