Facile and Fast Deposition of Amorphous TiO2 Film under Atmospheric Pressure and at Room Temperature, and its High Photocatalytic Activity under UV-C Light†

Abstract

A facile and fast CVD method for the deposition of TiO₂ films, under atmospheric pressure and at room temperature, onto glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates is explored. The hydrolysis reaction of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) is employed for the deposition of TiO₂ film, and the corresponding deposition rate determined. The surface morphology of the as-deposited TiO₂ films is observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In order to confirm the structure, composition, and optical properties of the films, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy are employed. The as-deposited TiO₂ films are amorphous with a band gap energy of around 3.42 eV and rich in surface OH groups, which exhibit very high photocatalytic activity for complete oxidation of HCHO in simulated air under UV-C irradiation.