Characterization and photocatalytic activities of nanosized titanium dioxide thin films

Abstract

Thin films of titanium dioxide with high surface area are prepared by sol-gel dip-coating technique. In this regards, Titania nano sols with high photocatalytic activity were prepared by dissolving titanium alkoxide in alcohol and water under acidic conditions. Photocatalytic activities of titanium dioxide thin films were measured in the presence of methylene blue. Microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the films, nanopowders and titanium dioxide sols were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area, zeta sizer and ultraviolet-visible spectrometry techniques. Particle size analysis of sols showed that the mean particle sizes were 15 to 128 nm. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that anatase crystal structure was produced with crystallite size below 11 nm. Increasing mass percent of anatase phase and specific surface area, enhance the photocatalytic activity. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the addition of methylcellulose as a dispersant, not only produced rough texture in the thin film, but also enhanced photocatalytic activity. The thin films prepared by using nitric acid as a stabilizer, revealed higher photocatalytic activity, surface area and sol stability and these data were more than those prepared with acetic acid.

Titanium Dioxide Nanotube-Based Oxygen Indicator for Modified Atmosphere Packaging: Efficiency and Accuracy

“…Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) was added to the TiO 2 nanotube/MB/glycerin system, promoting the indicator’s printability. The synthesized TiO 2 nanotubes had a larger surface area, which improved the photocatalytic performance [18,19]. Additionally, the wider band gap of the product prevents activation by natural light.…”

Preparation of Sericite-TiO₂ Composite Particle Material by Mechano-Chemical Method and its Application

“…Rutile TiO 2 becomes an important inorganic chemical material, especially as a high quality white pigment, which is widely used in the paint, plastic, and paper industries for its unique advantages, such as good refractive index, insolubility, and nontoxicity. It has potential applications in various fields including disinfection [1], self-cleaning coating [2,3,4], photocatalysis [5,6]water splitting [7,8,9], solar cells [10], environmental purification [11] and so on. However, great emphasis is also being given to study on nano-TiO 2 coating, which has been produced with various techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition [12], sol-gel [13,14] liquid phase deposition of amorphous TiO 2 [15,16].…”