Engineering Titanium Dioxide Films On Different Substrates For Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a food and drug administration (FDA) approved biomaterial and has been used for numerous biomedical applications. In this dissertation, synthesis and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes on different substrates (foil, wire and conducting glass) were carried out. These nanotubes were used as a photocatalyst for dissolved oxygen (DO) generation in simulated blood serum (as artificial lung therapy), and degradation of a cancer-causing textile dye methyl orange (MO). Anodized TiO2 nanotubes are highly photoactive in a physiological fluid (Ringer solution). DO was generated in the Ringer solution by the process of photocatalytic splitting of water. A maximum of ~60 g/L of DO was generated in Ringer solution by the photoillumination of the TiO2 nanotubes. TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized on different substrates so that the nanotubes can orient in a way to capture maximum light for its photoactivity. An increase in MO degradation from 19% over a foil to 40% over wires was observed. Higher degradation rates (20 %) with Pt-TiO2 nanotubes as compared to TiO2 on foils were observed. In order to minimize the use of Ti metal used for anodization, Ti sputtered onto ITO (indium tin oxide) glass plate was used. This anodized and annealed film exhibited a photocurrent of 110 mA a photovoltage of 300 mV. The titanium oxide prepared from a small fraction of titanium deposited over ITO demonstrated almost similar photoactivity as compared with titanium oxides prepared on foils. Therefore, this work concludes that the TiO2 fabricated on different substrates are as efficient in a photocatalytic process as TiO2 nanotubes formed over foils as has potential biomedical applications.