Preparation and Characterization of TiO2 Thin Films by Sol-Gel Method

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films have been deposited on silicon and glass substrates by the sol-gel process using titanium iso-propoxide [Ti(O-i-C₃H₇)₄]. The bond configuration of the TiO₂ thin films was analyzed by using FTIR in the wavenumber range from 400 to 4000 cm^–1. The spectral transmittance of as-deposited TiO₂ films deposited on fused silica glass was measured in the wavelength range from 200 to 900 nm. X-ray diffraction measurements were performed to determine the crystallinity of the TiO₂ films. As-deposited films were amorphous. As the film was annealed at higher temperature, the structure was transformed from amorphous to the anatase crystalline state. The chemical composition of the deposited film was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The films are essentially stoichiometric with carbon as the dominant impurity on the surface. Raman spectra show the characteristic of TiO₂ anatase phase. The electrical properties of the TiO₂ films were measured using capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage techniques. From C-V measurements, the dielectric constants were calculated to be approximately 26 for the as-deposited films and 75–82 for films annealed at 700°C in different atmosphere. For the as-deposited samples, the breakdown voltage was 2.7 MV/cm, and for an electric field of 1 MV/cm, the leakage current was 5 × 10^–5 A/cm² and the resistivity was 2.2 × 10¹⁰ -cm.     

Atomic Force Microscopy Study of TiO2 Films Obtained by the Sol-Gel Method

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to study the influence of thermal treatments on the structural and textural properties of the sol-gel TiO2 films obtained from Ti(OC3H7i)4. X-ray diffraction (XRD), ellipsometric and porosity measurements have also been made.The TiO2 sol-gel films were homogeneous, transparent and amorphous. Heat treatments in the 400–600°C range indicate that the films have a strong tendency to crystallization. The high initial homogeneity of the TiO2 films was preserved during the crystallization process. AFM shows that the thermally treated films exhibit uniform, monodispersed crystals.     

Low Temperature Sol-Gel Preparation of Nanocrystalline TiO2 Thin Films

TiO₂ nanocrystalline thin films with varying degree of porosity have been prepared using a low temperature method. TiO₂ films of the anatase form have been obtained by using a polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified sol-gel method. Densification and crystallization of the films was found to result from the thermal treatment of the dip coated films in boiling water. The films have been characterized by Raman, XRD, FTIR, AFM and optical methods. Highly transparent films with transmission in excess of 85% and porosity as high as 58% are formed predominantly of anatase crystallites of dimensions of the order of 5 nm. Initial results on lithium intercalation into these films resulting in an efficient optical modulation in the visible and near infrared regions demonstrate a good potential of these films for electrochromic applications.     

Crystallization and Microstructure of (Sm, Pb)TiO3 Thin Films Prepared from Sol-Gel Synthesized Solutions

A sol-gel route is developed for the synthesis of samarium modified lead titanate precursor solutions. The solutions are used for the deposition of thin films. After thermal treatment of the films, two crystalline phases are observed by X-ray diffraction analysis: an undesirable pyrochlore phase and a ferroelectric perovskite. These two phases are clearly distinguished in the film microstructure, showing a fined grained fraction of pyrochlore anda-axis oriented rosette grains of perovskite. The development of these phases as well as the evolution of the perovskite/pyrochlore ratio in the films is related to the chemistry of the synthesized solutions and the thermal treatment used for crystallization.     

Nonaggregated Zinc Phthalocyanine in Mesoporous Nanocrystalline TiO2 Thin Films

Summary: A simple sonochemical approach has been successfully developed to deposit poorly dissolved phthalocyanine dyes onto the surface of a highly‐ordered mesoporous nanostructured TiO₂ thin film. The aggregation‐free phthalocyanines are effectively encapsulated and stabilized in the nanopore arrays of the zeolite‐like mesoporous nanocrystalline TiO₂ thin film. Highly dispersed dye∥TiO₂ heterojunction arrays with a large contact area can be obtained by using this interesting approach.

The incorporation of phthalocyanine dyes into the surface of a highly‐ordered mesoporous nanostructured TiO₂ thin film, a potential photocatalyst.     

非钛醇盐溶胶-凝胶法制备高光活性纳米晶TiO2气凝胶

 以TiCl4为前驱体,采用环氧丙烷快速成胶法合成了具有高光催化活性的纳米晶TiO2气凝胶,利用X射线衍射、N2物理吸附和透射电镜等手段考察了H2O/TiCl4摩尔比和热处理等制备参数对TiO2气凝胶织构性质的影响,并以苯酚的光催化降解为模型反应评价了样品的光催化活性. 结果表明, H2O/TiCl4摩尔比为3时体系的成胶过程较为缓慢,制备的纳米晶TiO2气凝胶样品具有最小的晶粒尺寸及最大的比表面积和孔容,并且具有最佳的光催化活性.     

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.     

Crystallization Behavior of SiO2-TiO2 Sol-Gel Thin Films

The aim of this work was to investigate the crystallization behavior of thin films of SiO₂−TiO₂ made by the sol-gel process as function of the TiO₂ content and the temperature and time of heat treatment. Precursor solutions were prepared by hydrolysis of TEOS (tetraethoxysilane) and TPOT (titaniums tetraisopropoxide). Multilayer films were spun on single crystal silicon wafers. The compositions studied were (on a molar percentage basis) 20TiO₂−80SiO₂, 30TiO₂−70SiO₂, 40TiO₂−60SiO₂ and pure TiO₂. The films were heat treated at different temperatures between 300°C and 1200°C, for different periods of time (30 s-90 h). The crystallization kinetics were followed by micro-Raman spectrometry. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction showed that the films crystallized into one or both of two crystalline phase of TiO₂: anatase and rutile (for pure TiO₂ only). The volume fractions of the crystalline phase varied from very low values (<1%), up to 100%, for a TiO₂ sample heat treated at 800°C for 8 hours. The results show that the volume fraction of crystalline phase is strongly influenced by the heat treatment temperature and also, to a smaller extent, by the heat treatment time. The most important parameter, however, is the composition of the films: the higher their TiO₂ concentration, the lower is the crystallization temperature and the larger is the crystallized fraction.     

溶胶-凝胶及水热法制备掺杂铁、铬离子的二氧化钛光催化剂

通过溶胶 凝胶法结合水热处理制备了掺杂铁或铬离子的纳米尺寸锐钛矿型TiO₂光催化剂.用XRD、BET、TEM、EPR和UV VisDRS对样品进行了系列表征.在对活性偶氮染料XRG的降解中,可见光激发下适量掺杂的TiO₂呈现出优于纯TiO₂和P25的活性,同时掺杂并未降低其在紫外光激发下的活性.     

Piezoelectricity of ZnO Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

"ZnO piezoelectric thin films were prepared on crystal substrate Si(111) by sol-gel technology, then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ZnO films characterized by X-ray diffraction are highly oriented in (002) direction with the growing of the film thickness. The morphologies, roughness and grain size of ZnO film investigated by AFM show that roughness and grain size of ZnO piezoelectric films decrease with the increase of the film thickness. The roughness dimension is 2.188-0.914 nm. The piezoelectric coeocient d33 was investigated with a piezo-response force microscope (PFM). The results show that the piezoelectric coeocient increases with the increase of thickness and (002) orientation. When the force reference is close to surface roughness of the films, the piezoelectric coefficient measured is inaccurate and fluctuates in a large range, but when the force reference is big, the piezoelectric coeocient d33 changes little and ultimately keeps constant at a low frequency."     

Fabrication of Ordered TiO2 Porous Thin Films by Sol-Dipping PS Template Method

Monolayer polystyrene spheres (∼400 nm) array templates were assembled orderly on clean glass substrates by dip-drawing method from emulsion of PS and porous TiO₂ thin films were prepared by using sol-dipping template method to fill TiO₂ sol into the interstices among the close-packed PS templates and then annealing to remove the PS templates. The effects of TiO₂ precursor sol concentration and dipping time in sol on the porous structure of the thin films were studied. The results showed pore size of the ordered TiO₂ porous thin film depended mainly on PS size and partly on TiO₂ sol concentration. The shrinkage of pore diameter was about 10% for 0.2 M and 20% for 0.4 M TiO₂ sol concentrations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra indicated the porous thin film was anatase structure. The transmittance spectrum showed that optical transmittance of the porous thin film kept above 70% beyond the wavelength of 430 nm. Optical band-gap of the porous TiO₂ thin film (fired at 550^∘;C) was 3.12 eV.     

Preparation and Characterization of MgO Thin Films by a Novel Sol-Gel Method

MgO thin films have been prepared on Si substrates by a novel and simple sol-gel method using magnesium nitrate and collodion as starting material. Solutions consisting of magnesium nitrate in a mixture of collodion and ethanol were spin-coated onto silicon substrates. It was found that collodion was a necessary component to form stable sols and the crystallization and structures were clearly dependent on the amount of the collodion and the annealing temperature. The MgO thin films with good crystallization were obtained after annealing at 800°C. Meanwhile, the microstructure of the MgO films was examined by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.     

Macroporous Morphology of the Titania Films Prepared by a Sol-Gel Dip-Coating Method from the System Containing Poly(Ethylene Glycol). I. Effect of Humidity

The influence of humidity upon the macroporous morphology of the titania films has been studied for a sol-gel dip-coating system containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The water adsorption from the ambient atmosphere modifies the polycondensation rate of TiO2 oligomer and the phase separation rate between the TiO2-PEG complex and solvent mixture, and greatly varies the macroscopic morphology of the resultant TiO2 film.     

Preparation and Characterization of Molybdenum Oxide Thin Films by Sol-Gel Process

This paper presents a new sol-gel process to prepare molybdenum oxide thin films. A molybdenum acetylacetonate sol was prepared by employing the system CH₃COCH₂COCH₃/MoO₃/C₆H₅CH₃/HOCH₂CH₂OCH₃. A molybdenum acetylacetonate gel was prepared by addition of aqueous NH₃. Thermal gravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA) of the gel suggested that crystallization of MoO₃ occurs in a 140 K temperature range around 508°C. MoO₃ films were prepared on fused silica, Si (111) and Al₂O₃ (012) substrates by annealing spin coating films of the sol in oxygen environment at 508°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that all films crystallize in -MoO₃ structure, and crystallites on fused silica substrate are arbitrarily oriented while those on Si (111) and Al₂O₃(012) substrates oriented in the (010) direction. SEM investigations showed that MoO₃ grains of all films are randomly distributed, with a longitudinal dimension of about 1–5 m and the film thickness is about 1 m.     

Sol-Gel Preparation of Photocatalytic TiO2 Films on Polymer Substrates

Sol-gel TiO₂ thin films were autoclaved under various water/ethanol atmospheres. The microstructural, morphological and photocatalytic properties of the films were studied. The photocatalytic activity of the films appears closely related to crystallization states. It is shown that nanocrystallized porous films can be produced in a temperature range compatible with titania deposition on polymer materials. Consequently, photocatalytic films could successfully be prepared on polycarbonate and polymethylmetacrylate substrates. The autoclaved film properties are described and discussed with respect to sol-gel parameters and autoclaving conditions.     

溶胶凝胶法制备铜铁矿结构p型透明导电氧化物薄膜

铜铁矿结构p型透明导电氧化物(transparent conducting oxide, TCO)薄膜是一类在电子学领域具有广泛应用前景的新材料,因其可与n-TCO薄膜形成真正意义上的“透明器件”而备受关注。本文介绍了铜铁矿结构p-TCO的结构特性以及溶胶凝胶法的基本原理和特点;系统地介绍了溶胶凝胶法制备铜铁矿结构p-TCO薄膜的工艺;分析比较了有机醇盐、无机盐溶胶体系的优缺点;最后讨论了进一步的发展方向,指出溶胶凝胶法是一种高效可行的制备p-TCO薄膜的方法。     

Self‐Organization of Honeycomb‐like Porous TiO2 Films by means of the Breath‐Figure Method for Surface Modification of Titanium Implants

This study describes a facile breath‐figure method for the preparation of honeycomb‐like porous TiO₂ films with an organometallic small‐molecule precursor. Multiple characterization techniques have been used to investigate the porous films and a mechanism for the formation process of porous TiO₂ films through the breath‐figure method is proposed. The pore size of the TiO₂ films could be modulated by varying the experimental parameters, such as the concentration of titanium n‐butoxide (TBT) solution, the content of cosolvent, and the air flow rate. In vitro cell‐culture experiments indicate that NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells seeded on the honeycomb‐like porous TiO₂ films show good adhesion, spreading, and proliferation behaviors, which suggests that honeycomb‐like porous TiO₂ films are an attractive biomaterial for surface modification of titanium and its alloys implants in tissue engineering to enhance their biocompatibility and bioactivity.     

Atomic Force Microscopy Studies on the Chemical Treatment of Nanocrystalline Porous TiO2 Films

AFM has been utilized to study the surface topography and the local conductivity of nanocrystalline TiO2 films. Improving the local conductivity by Ti(iso-C3H7O4) treatment is characterized by quantitative analysis of the simultaneous current image. The mechanism of Ti(iso C3H7O4)4 treatment is discussed.     

SrBi2Nb2O9 Ferroelectric Powders and Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel

Pure SrBi2Nb2O9 powders and thin films were obtained using sol-gel synthesis from mixtures of niobium ethoxide, bismuth and strontium 2-ethylhexanoates. Powders crystallized for 2 hours at 700°C had grain sizes of about 100–150 nm. SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films were prepared by spin-coating a stable precursor solution onto Si/SiO2/TiO2/Pt substrates. Crystallization of pure SrBi2Nb2O9 phase occurred at about 500–550°C. Randomly oriented 0.3 m-thick crack-free films were obtained after 10 successive depositions and heating at 700°C for 2 hours. P-E hysteresis loops have confirmed the ferroelectric behavior of the films: they show a remanent polarization of 2.5 C/cm2 (5 V, 8 ms). No fatigue was observed up to 109 full switchings.     

原子力显微镜研究高分子超薄膜结晶机理及功能化调控

近十年来,随着功能高分子单晶(含单层或寡层片晶)工程及应用研究的不断深入,除了纳米尺度结晶形貌的表征以外,多功能原子力显微镜还被用于研究分子结构、结晶条件和后处理条件对功能高分子晶体性能(电、热、光、磁等)的影响,进一步还可采用扫描探针加工技术(机械刻蚀、电致刻蚀和热致刻蚀等)对其性能进行调控以构筑功能化聚集态结构和微图案.另一方面,超薄膜中单层或寡层片晶可为研究高分子结晶提供合适的模型体系,与原子力显微镜相结合,不但可以原位、实空间、高分辨地研究高分子的成核与生长过程(生长形态演变和生长动力学),还可以用于研究亚稳态折叠链片晶厚度和形态随热处理温度与时间的演化,从而加深对片晶内有序差异、片晶增厚与熔融行为和自诱导成核的认识.