Titanium foils of
different thicknesses were anodized, and the
photocatalytic activity of the resulting TiO
2
nanotube
(NT) layers was determined. All of the titanium foils were anodized
simultaneously under identical experimental conditions to avoid the
influence of the aging of the anodizing electrolyte and other anodization
parameters, such as voltage, time, and temperature. To characterize
the microstructures of the titanium foils, we used electron backscatter
diffraction (EBSD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and stylus
profilometry analyses. The adhesion was tested with a Scotch tape
test and the morphology of the TiO
2
NTs was studied in
detail using the SEM technique, while the surface areas of the TiO
2
NTs were determined using a three-dimensional (3D) optical
interference profilometer. With X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the chemical composition and structure
of TiO
2
oxide were established. The degradation of caffeine
under UV irradiation was measured with a high-precision UV–vis–IR
spectrophotometer, and the photoluminescence method was used to confirm
the photocatalytic behavior of the TiO
2
NT layers. The
influence of the intrinsic properties, including twinning and the
grain boundaries of the starting titanium foils with similar chemical
compositions, was determined and explained. Finally, we identified
the main characteristics that define a highly effective and flexible
photocatalyst.