Synthesis and Characterization of Self-Organized Oxide Layer Grown on Ti-Cu Alloys System for CO₂ Reduction

Abstract

Ti-Cu alloys could be used as a substrate to produce photoelectrode pn-heterojunctions to increase copper stability and consequently to improve photoconversion of CO2. Cu–Ti–O films were grown by anodizing directly of Ti–x%at.Cu (x= 0.5, 5.5, 10 and 50) and after these alloys were submitted different kinds heat treatment (annealing or quenching) to compare a directly influence of presents phases in nanotubes alloy substrate after it preparation by voltaic arc melting following a annealed or rapid quenching as heat treatment. All films presented TiO2 and copper dioxides in its compositions. These electrodes showed higher absorbance in visible light, anodic current for less copper alloy cathodic current equiatomic composition and copper stability for all cases due cu atomic insertion inside TiO2 crystal lattice and sharing oxygen atomic. The cathodic current varied in function of Cu concentration in the alloy.