Transparent TiO2 films in various thicknesses were prepared by sol-gel and MOCVD method, respectively, and their photocatalytic activities in decomposing gaseous 2-propanol were evaluated. The surfaces and grain structures of the prepared films were characterized by FESEM, XRD, and AFM. It was found that the photocatalytic activities of TiO 2 films were greatly dependent on the film thickness and surface roughness: The photocatalytic activity increases with the increase of film thickness, while it decreases with the increase of surface roughness. We have proposed that these phenomena originate from the transfer of photogenerated electron and hole pairs from the bulk to the surface of TiO2 film. Several experimental evidences supporting this mechanism have also been provided.
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