Visible photoinduced hydrophilicity of V2O5-TiO2 nanoporous ceramic layers grown via micro-arc oxidation

V2O5-TiO2 porous layers with a pore size of 50-400 nm were synthesized via a micro-arc oxidation process under different applied voltages. Morphological and topographical studies, performed by SEM and AFM techniques, revealed a nanoporous morphology with a rough surface where the pores' size as well as the surface roughness increased with voltage. In addition, our XRD and XPS results demonstrated that the layers consisted of anatase, rutile and vanadia phases. It was also found that V2O5 not only dispersed in the TiO2 matrix, but also doped into the crystalline lattice. Hydrophilicity of the synthesized layers was determined using a water contact angle apparatus. It was observed that the layer synthesized under the applied voltage of 450 V exhibited the highest hydrophilicity. Finally, a correlation between measured contact angles and MAO parameters was suggested with emphasis on the electrochemical foundations.