Preparation of TiO2 Thin Film Photocatalysts by Dip Coating Using a Highly Viscous Solvent

TiO₂ thin film photocatalysts coated onto soda lime glass were prepared by a dip coating process using a highly viscous solvent. The source of the TiO₂ was tetraisopropyl orthotitanate, and -terpineol was used as the solvent. Two types of thin film preparation procedures based on dip coating (a sol-gel system and thermal decomposition system) were used to prepare the samples. TiO₂ thin films were obtained after calcination at 450°C for 1 hour. The film thickness obtained with a single dipping was proportional to the viscosity of the dip coating solutions. The obtained thin films were transparent with a thickness of 1 m. The crystal form of the obtained photocatalyst films was anatase alone. The thin films were formed with aggregated nano-sized TiO₂ single crystals (7–15 nm). The photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ thin films, as evaluated by the photooxidation of NO (1 ppm) in dry air, was as high as our previous TiO₂ thin films prepared by the sol-gel method.     

A Large-Area Patterned TiO2/SnO2 Bilayer Type Photocatalyst Prepared by Gravure Printing

Anatase TiO₂ films (thickness = 50 nm) were formed in shape of stripes (width = 1.6 mm, interval = 0.4 mm) by gravure printing on commercially available SnO₂ coated soda-lime glass substrates (dimension = 300 × 300 mm). Its photocatalytic activity was examined for the gas-phase oxidation of CH₃CHO in comparison with a simple TiO₂ photocatalyst formed on a silica glass. The patterned TiO₂/SnO₂ bilayer type photocatalyst showed a high photocatalytic activity in an H₂O bearing atmosphere. On the other hand, neither the patterning nor stacking effect was observed for the same reaction under dry conditions. These results could be explained in terms of the reducing potential of the electrons in the conduction band of the SnO₂ layer.     

Studies on photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO2 films

Ag/TiO₂ photocatalytic films were produced by hybrid sol-gel method. The photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution under 365 nm irradiation on TiO₂ and Ag/TiO₂ thin films was investigated. The state and amount of Ag species within the film and the enhancement mechanism of photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO₂ were discussed. With a loading molar ratio of Ag/Ti = 0.135 in TiO₂ film, the maximum catalytic efficiency was observed. __________ Translated from Journal of Beijing Normal University (Natural Sciences), 2005, 41(6) (in Chinese)     

Rapid Synthesis of Nanocrystalline TiO2/SnO2 Binary Oxides and Their Photoinduced Decomposition of Methyl Orange

A rapid and simple method, the so-called stearic acid method (SAM) was developed to prepare nanostructured TiO₂/SnO₂ binary oxides by combustion of stearic acid precursors. The preparative process was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). During the preparative process, metal precursors were dispersed in stearic acid at molecular level. Microstructure of the samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET specific surface area measurement and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional sol-gel method. The photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange was used as a model system to determine the relative influences of the preparation method and the concentration of SnO₂ on the photocatalytic activities. It was found that preparative methods affected the crystalline structure of TiO₂/SnO₂ powders and the anatase phase of TiO₂ was stabilized by the addition of SnO₂ in SAM. The samples prepared by SAM showed better dispersity, larger specific surface area and the TiO₂/SnO₂ (r=0.15, SAM) catalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25.     

Preparation and Characterization of Bismuth Doped TiO2 Thin Films

A series of Bismuth-doped titanium oxide (Bi-doped TiO₂) thin films on glass substrates have been prepared by sol-gel dip coating process. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD and XPS. The photocatlytic activity of the thin film catalysts was evaluated through the photodegradation of aqueous methyl orange under UV illumination. The experiments demonstrated that the Bi-doped TiO₂ prepared was anatase phase. The doped bismuth was in the 3⁺ oxidation state. The presence of Bi significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films. At calcination temperature of 500°C, with doping concentration of 2 wt %, Bi-doped TiO₂ thin film showed the highest photocatalyic activity.     

High photocatalytic activity and stability for decomposition of gaseous acetaldehyde on TiO2/Al2O3 composite films coated on foam nickel substrates by sol-gel processes

A set of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films coated on foam nickel that modified by Al₂O₃ films as transition layer (indicated as TiO₂/Al₂O₃ films) were synthesized via sol-gel route. The bulk and surface properties of the TiO₂/Al₂O₃ films were characterized by thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and BET. The photocatalytic activities of TiO₂/Al₂O₃ films were investigated based on the degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The foam nickel is a promising substrate material in practical applications because of its excellent hydrodynamic properties for gas passing. The TiO₂/Al₂O₃ composite films showed much higher photocatalytic activity and stability for degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde than the onefold TiO₂ films. The significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity and stability can be ascribed to the coating of Al₂O₃ transition layer, which concentrates the target substances around TiO₂ particles and increases the specific surface area (SSA) of the substrate (the SSAs of bare foam nickel and Al₂O₃ modified foam nickel are 0.12 and 113.7 m²/g, respectively) to provide more sites for TiO₂ loading.     

Formation of Anatase Nanocrystals in Sol-Gel Derived TiO2-SiO2 Thin Films with Hot Water Treatment

We have successfully prepared transparent and porous anatase nanocrystals-dispersed films by treating the sol-gel derived TiO₂-SiO₂ films containing poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, with hot water. This process was done at temperatures lower than 100°C under atmospheric pressure, and thus anatase nanocrystals-dispersed films can be formed on various kinds of substrates including organic polymers with poor heat resistance. The changes in structure and composition of the TiO₂-SiO₂ gel films with hot water treatment were related to the formation process of anatase nanocrystals in the TiO₂-SiO₂ gel films with hot water treatment. The formation of anatase nanocrystals was found to proceed to hydrolysis of Si–O–Ti bonds and dissolution of SiO₂ component. In addition, porous film structure formed by leaching of PEG with hot water treatment led to homogenous dispersion of anatase nonocrystals in the films.     

Photocatalytic Activity and Characterization of the Sol-Gel Derived Pb-Doped TiO2 Thin Films

Photocatalytically active Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were prepared on a soda-lime glass substrate by sol-gel dip-coating technique using TiO₂ sols containing lead(II) nitrate. The thin films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-VIS spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A shift of the UV-VIS absorption towards longer wavelengths was observed, which indicated a decrease in the band-gap of TiO₂ upon Pb doping. XRD results showed both pure and Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were polycrystalline, anatase type, and oriented predominantly to the (101) plane. A slight shift in the d-spacing for the Pb-doped film indicated the incorporation of Pb into the TiO₂ lattice to form Pb _x Ti_1–x O₂ solid solution. AFM results showed Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were composed of larger TiO₂ particles and had rougher surface, compared with un-doped TiO₂ thin films. XPS results showed that except for the enrichment of Pb near the surface, Pb exists in the forms of Pb _x Ti_1–x O₂ and PbO. Dimethyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (DDVP) was efficiently degraded in the presence of the Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films by exposing the insecticide solution to sunlight. The mechanism of photocatalytic activity enhancement of the Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films was discussed.     

Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterisation of TiO2-Anatase Powders Containing Nanometric Platinum Particles Employed as Catalysts for 4-Nitrophenol Photodegradation

A set of TiO₂ and Pt-TiO₂ polycrystalline samples were prepared by sol-gel method hydrolysing a modified alkoxide titanium precursors under acidic conditions. The Pt-TiO₂ samples gave an homogeneous nanometric metal dispersion after drying heat treatment forming platinum particles in the range 2–4 nm. All the samples have been characterised using several techniques, namely thermogravimetric analysis, gas-chromatography, mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis combined with mass spectrometry or with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction coupled with a Rietveld refinement procedure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and determination of specific surface area. Moreover, the samples have been employed as catalysts for 4-nitrophenol photodegradation in aqueous suspension used as a probe reaction. Characterisation results indicate that the thermal and chemical treatments of the catalysts influenced the photocatalytic activity. In the Pt-TiO₂ samples both Pt(0) and Pt(II) species are present in the catalyst particles and the most abundant phase is anatase for all of the samples. Doping with Pt beneficially influences the photo-oxidant properties of TiO₂ while the presence of organic residual species on the surface, deriving from the preparation procedure of the catalyst particles interferes negatively in the kinetics of the photocatalytic process.     

The Effect of SiO2 Addition on the Grain Size and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Thin Films

The uniform transparent TiO₂/SiO₂ nanometer composite thin films were prepared via sol-gel method on the soda lime glass substrates, and were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FTIR spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET surface areas. It was found that the addition of SiO₂ to TiO₂ thin films could suppress the grain growth of TiO₂ crystal and increase the hydroxyl content of the surface of TiO₂ films. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared TiO₂/SiO₂ composite thin films increases for SiO₂ content of less than 5 mol%.     

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.     

Controllable preparation of nanosized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin film and relationship between structure of film and its photocatalytic activity

TiO₂ nano-crystalline film and fixed bed photocatalytic reactor were prepared by the sol-gel process using tetrabutylorthotitanate as a precursor and glass tube as the substrate. XRD, AFM, SEM and thickness analysis results indicate that the preparation of nano-crystalline film can be controlled by optimizing experiment process. Under the optimized process, the phase of TiO₂ in film is anatase, and the grain size is 3–4 nm. The size of particles, which is about 20-80 nm, can be controlled. The thickness of monolayer film is in nanometer grade. The thickness and particles size in films growing on nanometer film can also be controlled in nanometer grade. As a result, the crack of film can be effectively avoided. Rhodamine degradation results using UV-Vis spectrophotometer show that the activity of nano-crystalline film in the photocatalytic reactor has a good relation with the diameter of TiO₂ particles, that is, the film shows high activity when the size is 20 –30 nm and greatly reduced when the size is above 60 nm. The activity of film does not decrease with the increase of film thickness, and this result indicates that nano-crystalline film has no ill influence on the transmissivity of ultraviolet light.     

Addition of TiO2 nanowires in different polymorphs for dye-sensitized solar cells

TiO₂ (B) and TiO₂ anatase nanowires were prepared at 150 °C for 120 h by a hydrothermal method followed by calcination in air at 400 °C for 2 h and at 700 °C for 2 h for TiO₂ (B) and TiO₂ anatase, respectively. Although dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) with fully nanowire electrodes showed a rather low light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 1.33 % for TiO₂ (B) and 2.42% for TiO₂ anatase, 10 wt % nanowire-dispersed electrodes in a P-25 TiO₂-nanoparticle matrix demonstrated improved efficiency of 6.17 % for TiO₂ (B) and 6.53% for TiO₂ anatase, these exceeding that of pure P-25 electrodes in this work (η=5.59%). The dominant mechanisms of the improvement at 10 wt% for the two different polymorphs are thought to be different, i.e., a light-scattering and film-thickness increment for the TiO₂ (B) system, whereas there is an improved conduction path through the matrix for the TiO₂ anatase system.      

Structure of TiO2 in TiO2-SiO2 prepared by a complexing agent-assisted sol-gel procedure

Many types of TiO₂-SiO₂ (Ti:Si=50:50 mol%) were prepared by the sol-gel procedure with and without 2-methyl-2, 4-pentanediol (MPD) as an organic ligand. The effect of MPD on the gel structure and the properties of the TiO₂ crystals were studied by XRD and raman spectroscopy, and the effect of the sol standing time on the properties of the TiO₂ crystals were also studied by XRD spectroscopy. In the gels with MPD, anatase of TiO₂ appeared at approximately 580°C, and the crystal structures were similar despite the difference in the gel preparation procedure. The titania gels with MPD were presumed to be dispersed in the silica gel matrix without any Ti-O-Si bond. In the presence of MPD, the formation of titania gels is controlled and the specified TiO₂ crystal is produced.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue on Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light irradiation

Fe³⁺-doped TiO₂ composite nanoparticles with different doping amounts were successfully synthesized using sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultravioletvisible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was used as a model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of Fe³⁺/TiO₂ nanoparticles under visible light irradiation. The influence of doping amount of Fe³⁺ (ω: 0.00%–3.00%) on photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ was investigated. Results show that the size of Fe³⁺/TiO₂ particles decreases with the increase of the amount of Fe³⁺ and their absorption spectra are broaden and absorption intensities are also increased. Doping Fe³⁺ can control the conversion of TiO₂ from anatase to rutile. The doping amount of Fe³⁺ remarkably affects the activity of the catalyst, and the optimum efficiency occurs at about the doping amount of 0.3%. The appropriate doping of Fe³⁺ can markedly increase the catalytic activity of TiO₂ under visible light irradiation. __________ Translated from Journal of Northwest Normal University (Natural Science), 2006, 42(6): 55–56 [译自: 西北师范大学学报(自然科学版)]     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/TiO2/SnO2 mixture

ZnO/TiO₂/SnO₂ mixture was prepared by mixing its component solid oxides ZnO, TiO₂ and SnO₂ in the molar ratio of 4?1?1, followed by calcining the solid mixture at 200-1300 °C. The products and solid-state reaction process during the calcinations were characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement of specific surface area. Neither solid-state reaction nor change of crystal phase composition took place among the ZnO, TiO₂ and SnO₂ powders on the calcinations up to 600 °C. However, formation of the inverse spinel Zn₂TiO₄ and Zn₂SnO₄ was detected at 700-900 and 1100-1200 °C, respectively. Further increase of the calcination temperature enabled the mixture to form a single-phase solid solution Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄ with an inverse spinel structure in the space group of . The ZnO/TiO₂/SnO₂ mixture was photocatalytically active for the degradation of methyl orange in water; its photocatalytic mass activity was 16.4 times that of SnO₂, 2.0 times that of TiO₂, and 0.92 times that of ZnO after calcination at 500 °C for 2 h. But, the mass activity of the mixture decreased with increasing the calcination temperature at above 700 °C because of the formation of the photoinactive Zn₂TiO₄, Zn₂SnO₄ and Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄. The sample became completely inert for the photocatalysis after prolonged calcination at 1300 °C (42 h), since all of the active component oxides were reacted to form the solid solution Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄ with no photocatalytic activity.     

B离子掺杂TiO2催化剂(TiO2－xBx)光催化活性的研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备出纳米TiO₂和TiO_2－xB_x催化剂. 光催化实验证明, TiO_2－xB_x催化剂的紫外、可见光催化活性均高于TiO₂. XRD, XPS和Raman结果表明, B离子是以取代式掺杂占据了TiO₂的O^2－的晶格位置. UV-Vis和PL谱的结果表明, B离子的2p轨道与O的2p轨道形成混合价带, 产生可见光响应, B离子的掺入有效地阻止了光生载流子的复合, 促进了其分离, 是TiO_2－xB_x催化剂紫外、可见光催化活性提高的主要原因.     

Photocatalytic Activity and Photo-Induced Wettability Conversion of TiO2 Thin Film Prepared by Sol-Gel Process on a Soda-Lime Glass

We have developed the transparent photoactive TiO₂ thin film coated on soda lime glass (SLG) by sol-gel process. Titanium dioxide thin films coated on SLG exhibit lower photocatalytic activity due to the thermal diffusion of Na ion from the SLG substrate. Thin SiO₂ film precoating is very effective to prevent the thermal diffusion of Na ion. We have evaluated the photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous acetaldehyde and the photo-induced surface wettability of TiO₂ films with and without SiO₂ precoating layer. As expected, the TiO₂ film on SiO₂/SLG is more photoactive to decompose acetaldehyde than that on SLG. However, as for wettability conversion, there was little difference in the conversion rate between TiO₂ film without SiO₂, and TiO₂ film with SiO₂. Different dependence of Na ion diffusion on two kinds of photo-induced reaction on TiO₂ is discussed based on the difference of the photo-induced reaction mechanism.     

SnO2TiO2 复合半导体纳米薄膜的研究进展

本文概述了SnO₂TiO₂ 复合半导体纳米薄膜的发展历史和研究现状,对比分析了“混合”、“核壳”和“叠层”3 种复合薄膜的结构和性能特点,着重论述了叠层结构的SnO₂ /TiO₂复合薄膜的光电化学和光催化特性。结合作者的研究工作,探讨了SnO₂ /TiO₂双层复合薄膜上下层厚度对其光催化活性的影响,指出复合薄膜光催化活性的提高可归因于电子从TiO₂ 向SnO₂ 的迁移。最后对SnO₂ /TiO₂复合薄膜的局限性和发展潜势做一简要分析,强调了该复合薄膜本身的应用特点。     

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.