In Situ Acid-Driven Electrochemical Synthesis of Titanium-Oxide Materials on Platinum Microelectrode Arrays: Coupled Experimental and Numerical Modeling

This study presents a novel method for the rapid synthesis of titanium-oxide-based materials using an electrochemical approach at room temperature. The process employs in situ acid generation facilitated by platinum interdigitated microelectrode arrays (IDPMEs) to control local pH, eliminating the need for external acid addition and minimizing environmental impact. The method achieves the deposition of titanium-oxide structures in under five minutes, providing a scalable and efficient alternative to traditional high-temperature, acid-intensive techniques. A numerical model based on the Butler-Volmer equation was developed to simulate deposition kinetics, linking experimental deposition rates to theoretical predictions. This work highlights the critical role of pH and precursor concentration in the formation of titanium-oxide frameworks and provides a validated framework for future studies on scalable synthesis of functional titanium-oxide structures. The electrochemical behavior of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="italic">Ti</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> oxidation was also characterized using simulated cyclic voltammetry, with the resulting titanium-oxide structures analyzed using FTIR, XRD, and SEM to confirm the presence of Ti–O–Ti linkages and uniform deposition.