The photocatalytic degradation of a model textile dye, methyl orange (MO), using anodized titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanotubes has been investigated. The effects of light intensity, dye concentration, external bias, pH, and nanotube dimensions (length, diameter, and wall thickness) on MO photodegradation have been examined. The application of a minimal bias of +0.0 versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) can enhance the dye degradation at least 10 times compared to unbiased conditions for dye concentrations between 20 and 100 µM. The overall initial dye degradation rate demonstrates three types of dependence on dye concentration over a range from 2.5-100 µM. For lower dye concentrations (2.5-40 µM) and natural pH (∼6.0) conditions, Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) kinetics was observed. The nanotubes diameter, calcination condition, and the anatase-to-rutile ratio in the crystalline TiO 2 nanotubes together influence the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO 2 nanotubes.

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Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes formed by anodization over titanium wires show a significant improvement in photocatalytic activity compared to the nanotubes formed over foils. This is evident when the fractional conversion of a textile dye, methyl orange, increased from 19% over a foil to 40% over wires in the presence of nanotubes of identical dimensions illuminated over the same geometrical area. Higher degradation rates with Pt-TiO2 nanotubes over foils are matched by the Pt-free TiO2 nanotubes over the wires. The higher photocatalytic activity over the anodized wires can be attributed to the efficient capture of reflected and refracted light by the radially outward oriented TiO2 nanotubes formed over the circumference of the titanium wire. The formation of TiO2 nanotubes over wires can be considered as an effective alternate to improve photodegradation rates by avoiding expensive additives.

Abstract

Corner cube retroreflectors are objects with three mutually perpendicular reflective surfaces that return light directly to its source and are therefore extremely bright and easy to detect. In this work, we have fabricated suspended corner cube retroreflectors, 5 microns in size, consisting of a transparent epoxy core and three surfaces coated with gold as ultra-bright labels for use in a rapid, low-labor diagnostic platform. The authors have demonstrated that individual cubes are easily imaged using low-cost, low numerical aperture objectives in suspension and that they remain suspended over long periods of time. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the gold outer surfaces can be decorated with proteins, and that individual cubes can be bound to magnetic sample preparation particles bearing antibodies which recognize these proteins. The bound cubes can be imaged and tracked as they move through solution in response to an external magnetic field, and we have, as such, demonstrated the principle of the new biosensing approach.