Ellipso-Microscopic Observation of Titanium Surface under UV-Light Irradiation

The ellipso-microscopic observation of a titanium surface undergoing anodization in 0.05 mol dm-3 of H2SO4was conducted. During irradiation by ultra-violet (UV) light with a wavelength of 325 nm, the titaniumsurface allowed for the flow of a photo-induced current and showed up as a bright, patch-like image onan ellipso-microscopic view. The brightness and patch-pattern in the image changed with flowing photo-inducedcurrent. The changes in the brightness and the image corresponded to the formation and/or degradationof titanium oxide due to the photo-electrochemical reaction of the oxide. An in situ monitoring using theellipso-microscope revealed that the film change was dependent on the irradiation light power, by UV-lightincreases the anodic current and results in the initiation of pitting at lower potentials as compared withthe non-irradiated condition. KCI Citation Count: 0