10.57647/ijnd.2026.1703.02

Time-Controlled Photoassisted Deposition of Silver on Tio2 Nanotube Arrays: Tuning Plasmonic for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance

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  • Qasim Chfat Abdulridha1,
  • Araa Mebdir Holi*1,
  • Azhar Y.M. Al-Murshedi2,
  1. Department of Physics, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah, Al-Qadisiyah 58002, Iraq
  2. Chemistry Department, Faculty Education for Women, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

Received: 2025-10-16

Revised: 2025-11-22

Accepted: 2025-12-05

Published Online: 2026-01-02

Copyright (c) 2025 Qasim Chfat Abdulridha, Araa Mebdir Holi, Azhar Y.M. Al-Murshedi (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Abdulridha, Q. C., Holi, A. M., & Al-Murshedi, A. Y. (2025). Time-Controlled Photoassisted Deposition of Silver on Tio2 Nanotube Arrays: Tuning Plasmonic for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance. International Journal of Nano Dimension, 17(2 (April 2026). https://doi.org/10.57647/ijnd.2026.1703.02
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Abstract

This study demonstrates that time-controlled photoassisted deposition of silver (Ag) nanoparticles can effectively tune the plasmonic and photoelectrochemical behavior of TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs/Ti foil). Structural analyses confirmed the preservation of phase-pure anatase TiO2 and revealed progressive Ag loading with deposition time. FESEM observations showed that early deposition (5–15 min) primarily thickened tube walls, increasing the outer diameter from ~210 to ~250 nm, while distinct Ag nanoparticles were not yet resolved. At longer deposition times (20–25 min), well-defined Ag particles appeared, growing from ~450 to ~750 nm, indicating coalescence and aggregation. These morphological changes corresponded with optical responses, where a pronounced LSPR band emerged at ~620 nm and the apparent band gap decreased from 3.20 eV for pristine TNTs to 2.7 eV at 10 min Ag coverage. Photoelectrochemical measurements highlighted the importance of deposition time: photocurrent density increased from 0.11 mA cm-2 for pristine TNTs to a maximum of 0.39 mA cm⁻² at 10 min, over 3.5-fold enhancement, before declining due to aggregation-induced recombination. Overall, these results show that precise control of Ag deposition time governs nanoparticle nucleation, growth, plasmonic behavior, and interfacial charge transfer, providing a scalable strategy for designing high-performance plasmonic photoelectrodes.

Keywords

  • Photoassisted deposition,
  • Photoelectrochemical performance,
  • Plasmonic effect,
  • Silver nanoparticles,
  • Surface modification,
  • TiO2 nanotubes
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