Ordered porous ZnO thin films formed by dip-coating method using PS templates

Monolayer polystyrene spheres (∼400 nm) array templates were assembled orderly on clean glass substrates by dip-coating method from emulsion of polystyrene (PS). Porous ZnO thin films were also prepared by dip-coating method to fill the interstices among the close-packed PS templates with ZnO and annealing to remove the PS templates. Results showed that ZnO sol concentration and dipping time of PS templates in sol had great influences on the morphology of ordered porous ZnO thin films. There was a shrinkage ratio of about 30% from pore to PS. SEM observation showed that the PS array templates had face-centered cubic close-packing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra showed the porous ZnO thin film was wurtzite structure. The optical transmittance decreased with decreasing wavelength of lights, but was kept above 80% beyond the wavelength of 550 nm. Optical band-gap of the porous ZnO thin film annealed at 500°C was 3.22 eV.     

溶胶浸渍模板法制备有序多孔氧化钛、氧化锌薄膜

采用溶胶浸渍模板法制备了有序多孔的氧化钛(TiO₂)和氧化锌(ZnO)薄膜。首先，在洁净的玻璃基片上通过浸渍-提拉工艺组装有序的聚苯乙烯微球(PS)阵列模板；然后再采用溶胶浸渍法将TiO₂和ZnO溶胶灌充到PS模板微球的间隙内；最后通过煅烧去除PS而得多孔薄膜。采用SEM观察了薄膜的表面形貌，并用XRD对薄膜的性能进行了表征。结果表明，溶胶的浓度对薄膜形貌有着显著的影响。经煅烧后，TiO₂和ZnO薄膜分别为锐钛矿和六方纤锌矿结构。此外，对模板的组装及溶胶的灌注过程进行了分析。     

Fabrication and characterization of TiO2 photocatalytic thin film prepared from peroxo titanic acid sol

A novel sol–gel technique using the PTA (peroxo titanic acid) sol as precursor for the fabrication of TiO₂ photocatalytic thin film is introduced in this paper. The peroxo titanic acid sol was synthesized from titanyl sulfate (TiOSO₄), ammonia and peroxide solution (H₂O₂). The transparent and porous TiO₂ thin film was prepared via a sol–gel technique using PTA sol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as precursor and template, respectively. The TiO₂ thin film samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) and thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) technique. The PTA sol displayed amorphous TiO₂ below 100 °C. The anatase phase formed at 200 °C to 700 °C. The crystallinity of anatase phase was improved with increasing temperature. The anatase crystals on the surface of TiO₂ film were strip-like, the size being about 100 nm in length and 40 nm in diameter. Addition of PEG to the PTA sol developed porous structures in the film and changed the size and shape of the particles. The surface of the film contained Ti, O and C elements and Na element that diffused into the film from the glass substrate. The photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ film was tested for the degradation of 10 mg/L methyl orange. The degradation of methyl orange solution reached 98.9% after irradiated for 180 min under UV light. The porous TiO₂ thin film exhibited high photocatalytic activity towards degrading methyl orange.     

TiO2 Thin Film with Varied Porous Structure Applied on the Degradation of Methylene Blue

In this study, porous TiO₂ thin films were prepared by the sol‐gel method employing polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG 1000) as an organic template. Pore sizes were adjusted by varying the concentration of PEG 1000. The optimal PEG concentration range required to form TiO₂ films with a regular porous structure was investigated and was found to be 0.01–0.015 M. As the PEG 1000 concentration increased, the surface of these films became rougher because of larger pores. Degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation was used to determine the photocatalytic activity of the films. In addition, the effect of the pH value of the MB solution on the films was evaluated by controlling its pH value at 5, 7, and 9. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity was correlated to the pore size and pore density of the thin films. TiO2 thin films possessing pore sizes in the diameter range of 35–85 nm exhibited the best conversion of 98% after 8 h of UV irradiation when the pH value was 7.     

Preparation and Formation Mechanism of Porous TiO2 Films Using PEG and Alcohol Solvent as Double-Templates

Porous nanocrystalline TiO₂ anatase thin films have been synthesized on glass substrates via a sol-gel dip-coating method. The coating sol was obtained by suppressed hydrolysis of Ti(OC₄H₉)₄ through the addition of complexing molecules as stabilizers in an alcohol solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG). Chemical changes taking place during the sol-gel process were discussed based on IR spectra analysis. A model concerning the pore formation was established to explain the role of PEG and solvent with core-shell configuration as double-templates. The structural characteristics of porous TiO₂ films were found to greatly depend on the concentration and molecular weight of PEG, the types of stabilizing agents and solvents. The pore size of the films was tunable in the range of 10–500 nm and their surface area varied from 51 to 72 m²·g^–1.     

Effect of calcination temperature on the microstructure of porous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> film

To obtain porous TiO₂ film, the precursor sol was prepared by hydrolysis of Ti isopropoxide and then complexed with trehalose dihydrate. The porous TiO₂ film was fabricated by the dip-coating technique on glass substrates using this solution. The TiO₂ film was calcined at 500 °C. The maximum thickness of the film from one-run dip-coating was ca. 740 nm. The film was composed of nanosized particle and pores. The porosity of the TiO₂ film was increased by addition of trehalose dihydrate to the sol. The porous TiO₂ films were calcined at different temperatures. The effects of calcination temperature on the microstructure of the porous TiO₂ film were investigated. The porous film prepared from sol containing trehalose still kept the porous structure after calcination at 950 °C. The phase transition temperature of the film from anatase to rutile was shifted from 650 to 700 °C by addition of trehalose to the sol.     

TOF-GISANS investigation of polymer infiltration in mesoporous TiO2 films for photovoltaic applications

The structure of porous TiO₂ films and TiO₂:poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) composite films is investigated with time-of-flight grazing incidence small-angle neutron scattering (TOF-GISANS). The TiO₂ films have been prepared by application of a sol–gel process with a diblock copolymer as structure directing agent, and the conductive polymer PVK is infiltrated in the porous network by spin coating and solution casting. The films show a hierarchical pore structure with mesopores 52 nm in size and additional large macropores with a diameter of about 180 nm. By matching the scattering contrast of the TiO₂ with the polymer information about the penetration of the polymer in the pores is determined. Whereas in the PVK film prepared by solution casting the pores are filled to a high degree; in the spin coated film, PVK wets only the TiO₂ pore walls and forms a solid overlying layer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1628–1635, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of novel InVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>–TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin films using the low temperature sol

The InVO₄ sol was obtained by a mild hydrothermal treatment (the precursor precipitation solution at 423 K, for 4 h). Novel visible-light activated photocatalytic InVO₄–TiO₂ thin films were synthesized through a sol–gel dipping method from the composite sol, which was obtained by mixing the low temperature InVO₄ sol and TiO₂ sol. The photocatalytic activities of the new InVO₄–TiO₂ thin films under visible light irradiation were investigated by the photocatalytic discoloration of methyl orange aqueous solution. The thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The results revealed that the InVO₄ doped thin films enhanced the methyl orange degradation rate under visible light irradiation, 3.0 wt% InVO₄–TiO₂ thin films reaching 80.1% after irradiated for 15 h.     

Electrochromic properties of sputtered TiO2 thin films

TiO₂ thin films were deposited on ITO/Glass substrates by the rf magnetron sputtering in this study. The electrochromic properties of TiO₂ films were investigated using cyclic voltammograms (CV), which were carried out on TiO₂ films immersed in an electrolyte of 1 M LiClO₄ in propylene carbonate (PC). As- deposited TiO₂ thin film was amorphous, while the films post-annealed at 300~600°C contained crystallized anatase and rutile. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the surface roughness of film increased from 1.232 nm to 1.950 nm. Experimental results reveal that the processing parameters of TiO₂ thin films will influence the electrochromic properties such as transmittance, ion-storage capacity, inserted charge, optical density change, coloration efficiency and insertion coefficient.     

Preparation and properties of SiO2-TiO2 thin films from silicic acid and titanium tetrachloride

The preparation of SiO₂-TiO₂ thin films by the sol-gel method using silicic acid and titanium tetrachloride as starting materials was studied. The homogeneous sols were obtained by the condensation reaction of silicic acid with titanium tetrachloride in methanol-tetrahydrofuran. The dipcoating of slide glasses and silicon wafers followed by heat treatment gave oxide thin films of 88–93% transmittance, 3000–4500 Å thickness, and 1.45–1.80 refractive index, depending on heat-treatment temperature and TiO₂ content. FT-IR measurement showed that the Si-O-Ti bond is formed even in the sol and films. The variations of film thickness and refractive index on transformation from the gels into the oxides were found to be quite low.     

锐钛矿型多孔TiO2薄膜的溶解法制备及性能表征

在具有锐钛矿晶粒的TiO₂溶胶中加入苯丙乳液粒子，使用该混合液浸渍提拉涂膜，然后利用甲苯将薄膜中的苯丙乳液粒子溶解去除，并通过重复涂膜，在室温下获得了具有良好多孔性的锐钛矿型TiO₂薄膜。考察了多孔薄膜的表面形貌、光学性能、吸附性能和光催化性能。结果表明：随薄膜涂膜次数的增加，TiO₂多孔薄膜的吸光度增大，透光率减小，光吸收边波长向长波方向移动。罗丹明B在TiO₂多孔薄膜上的吸附量随涂膜次数的增加先升高，后降低；多次涂膜会在薄膜中产生半封闭的孔洞，经过长时间的毛细渗透等作用能进一步增加薄膜对罗丹明B的吸附。TiO₂多孔薄膜通过吸附+光催化氧化的模式快速分解罗丹明B，其活性主要受到薄膜在光催化反应初期的吸附能力的影响。此外，TiO₂的负载量、光的利用效率、以及光生电荷迁移及其分离等也是影响薄膜光催化活性的因素。     

Low-temperature synthesis of photocatalytic TiO2 thin film from aqueous anatase precursor sols

Anatase TiO₂ sols (RS) were synthesized by peptizing the hydrolysis of titanyl sulfate in abundant hydrogen peroxide solution and subsequent reflux to enhance crystallization. The influences of various reflux time on crystallinity, morphology, and size of the obtained TiO₂ sol and dried TiO₂ film particles were investigated. At room temperature, crystalline TiO₂ thin film was deposited on glass silde from the as prepared TiO₂ sol by dip-coating method. No further thermal posttreatment was required to eliminate organics from the film or to induce titania crystallization. TiO₂ thin film on substrates could be thickened by means of consecutive dip-coating process. Titania film thus obtained was transparent and showed proper adherence. The photocatalytic activities of the TiO₂ thin film was assessed by the degradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution. The preparation process of photocatalytic TiO₂ thin film was quite simple and a low-temperature route.     

The evolution of morphology of ordered porous TiO2 films fabricated from sol-gel method assisted ZnO nanorod template

Ordered porous TiO₂ films, including TiO₂ nanotube arrays, are fabricated by a sol-gel dip-coating approach via ZnO nanorod templates obtained from aqueous solution approach. The results indicate that the morphologies of ordered porous TiO₂ films have been great affected by the sol-gel dip-coating cycle number. Open-ended TiO₂ nanotube arrays can be obtained in optimum dip-coating cycle numbers. The TiO₂ nanotubes with the inner diameter matching well with the diameters of ZnO nanorods, are well assembled and separate each other. When the cycle number is less than this optimum value, no intact porous TiO₂ film can be obtained. As the cycle number is larger than this optimum value, an ordered porous TiO₂ film with many throughout holes is formed. The evolutive mechanism of ordered porous TiO₂ films is proposed.     

Effect of dopant concentration on photocatalytic activity of TiO2 film doped by Mn non-uniformly

The thin films of TiO₂ doped by Mn non-uniformly were prepared by sol-gel method under process control. In our preceding study, we investigated in detail, the effect of doping mode on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films showing that Mn non-uniform doping can greatly enhance the activity. In this study we looked at the effect of doping concentration on the photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ films. In this paper, the thin films were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometer and electrochemical workstation. The activity of the photocatalyst was also evaluated by photocatalytic degradation rate of aqueous methyl orange under UV radiation. The results illustrate that the TiO₂ thin film doped by Mn non-uniformly at the optimal dopant concentration (0.7 at %) is of the highest activity, and on the contrary, the activity of those doped uniformly is decreased. As a comparison, in 80 min, the degradation rate of methyl orange is 62 %, 12 % and 34 % for Mn non-uniform doping film (0.7 at %), the uniform doping film (0.7 at %) and pure titanium dioxide film, respectively. We have seen that, for the doping and the pure TiO₂ films, the stronger signals of open circuit potential and transient photocurrent, the better photocatalytic activity. We also discusse the effect of dopant concentration on the photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ films in terms of effective separation of the photon-generated carriers in the semiconductor.     

Titania nanocomposite films derived by modified sol-gel process for photovoltaic application

Titania nanocomposite films were fabricated by spin-coating from sol-gel derived pastes of TiO₂ powder in titanium isopropoxide sol. The thin films were characterized for structural, optical and hydrophilic properties and evaluated as electrodes in a photoelectrochemical cell. Addition of TiO₂ powder increased film thickness, reduced transmittance, water contact angle and electrochemical impedance, and promoted photocurrent generation. Increasing Triton X-100 surfactant loading in the composite slurry influenced film texture and transmittance, and the resultant films exhibited a lower photocurrent yield but were more hydrophilic to favor charge transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The aggregation of TiO₂ particles of different sizes in the composite film facilitates light-scattering and electron transport to enhance quantum efficiency. The addition of Triton X-100 surfactant influences the distribution of scattering centers to increase transparency.     

Synthesis,structural and electrical characterization of PbS NCs in titania sol–gel films

Nanocrystals of lead sulfide were grown in TiO₂ (titania) thin films prepared by a sol-gel process. The synthetic procedure as well as the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films are demonstrated. The structures and morphology of PbS nanocrystals were analyzed using HRTEM, SAED, AFM, HRSEM, XRD and EDAX elemental analysis technique. When the concentration of PbS in the titania matrix is 20 mol%, PbS NCs with a diameter of 2.0 nm are created. At a higher PbS concentration (> 40 mole%) in the titania matrix, PbS NCs and PbS clusters are created not only within the TiO₂ film but also on the external surface of the TiO₂ film. By increasing the PbS concentration up to 50 mol%, PbS nanocrystals of 6–8 nm in diameter are formed within the titania film and PbS clusters with a base size of about 100 nm² and a height up to about 20 nm were self assembled on the external surface of TiO₂ film. Quantum size effect and band gap energies were obtained from shifts of the absorption edge. For electrical measurements, PbS–TiO₂ films were deposited on an ITO/glass substrate, and then covered with gold contact. The electrical properties of ITO/PbS NCs–TiO₂/Au and ITO/PbS NCs–TiO₂/PbS cluster/Au structures were studied. I–V characteristics of the one layer structure are nearly linear and symmetric, while those of the two-layer structure exhibit rectifying behavior.     

不同基底对TiO2和SiO2薄膜的光学性能的影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法分别在K9玻璃、单晶硅和石英玻璃基底上制备了纳米TiO₂和SiO₂薄膜。利用SEM、UV-Vis及反射式椭圆偏振光谱仪对薄膜的微观结构及光学特性进行了表征和分析。结果表明:3种基底中, 单晶硅基底上TiO₂和SiO₂薄膜折射率最大;在非晶态K9玻璃和石英玻璃基底上TiO₂薄膜折射率和透光率差异较大;SiO₂薄膜在非晶态基底上折射率、透光率相近;3种基底上薄膜的折射率和消光系数都有随波长增大而减小的趋势, 同时Cauchy模型能较好的描述单晶硅基底上两种薄膜在400~800 nm波段的光学性能。     

不同基底对TiO2和SiO2薄膜的光学性能的影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法分别在K9玻璃、单晶硅和石英玻璃基底上制备了纳米TiO₂和SiO₂薄膜。利用SEM、UV-Vis及反射式椭圆偏振光谱仪对薄膜的微观结构及光学特性进行了表征和分析。结果表明：3种基底中, 单晶硅基底上TiO₂和SiO₂薄膜折射率最大;在非晶态K9玻璃和石英玻璃基底上TiO₂薄膜折射率和透光率差异较大;SiO₂薄膜在非晶态基底上折射率、透光率相近;3种基底上薄膜的折射率和消光系数都有随波长增大而减小的趋势, 同时Cauchy模型能较好的描述单晶硅基底上两种薄膜在400~800 nm波段的光学性能。     

Preparation and characterization of transparent TiO2 thin films coated on fused-silica substrates

The transparent TiO₂ thin films coated on fused-SiO₂ substrates were prepared by the sol–gel method and spin-coating technique. Effects of calcination temperature on crystal structure, grain size, surface texture, and light transmittance of the films were investigated. After calcining at 600–1,200 °C, the thicknesses of the TiO₂ films were all around 80 nm and the molecular structures of the films were anatase, even at 1,200 °C. The calcined TiO₂ films had the ultraviolet light (wavelength 200–400 nm) transmittances of ≤29% and the visible light (wavelength 400–800 nm) transmittance of ≥72%. By photocatalytically decomposing the methylene blue (MB) in water, the photocatalytic activities of the TiO₂ thin films were measured and represented using the characteristic time constant (τ) for the MB degradation. While the films prepared at 1,000 and 1,200 °C photodecomposed about 54 mol% of the MB in water (the corresponding τ ≈ 14.8 h) after exposing to 365-nm UV light for 12 h, the films prepared at 600 and 800 °C had smaller τ (≈9.0 h) and photodecomposed about 74 mol% of the MB in water at the same testing conditions.     

Influences of Solvent on Properties of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Porous Films Prepared by a Sol-Gel Method from the System Containing PEG

Ethanol, n-butanol, mixed ethanol/terpineol and ethanol/1-decanol were used as the solvents to prepare porous TiO₂ films by the sol-gel method from the system containing tetrabutylorthotitanate as starting material and PEG as a template. The comparison of effects of the four solvents on the porous structure, film thickness, crystallization behavior from amorphous to anatase and optical properties of the resultant TiO₂ porous films are discussed. The maximum thickness of the film prepared by one-run dip-coating reaches over 1.17 μm when 1-decanol is used as the solvent. The mechanism for formation of the porous structure is interpreted based on the phase separation and self-assembly of PEG in the sol systems.