Enhancing the UV inducing Hydrophilicity and Structural Properties of Fe–TiO2 Nanoparticle thin Films Prepared by Sol–gel Method

In this study, the optical and structural properties of an Fe–TiO2 sol were investigated. TBOT[Ti(OC2H5)4] and ferric nitrate[Fe(NO3)3.9H2O] were used as precursors to make the Fe–TiO2 sol. The samples for measurement were prepared on a glass substrate using the sol–gel spin coating method. The annealing temperature (Ta) was varied in the range of 500 ◦C. The cut-off points of the samples were increasingly red-shifted with increasing Fe content. Characteristics and optical properties of TiO2 thin films doping of various Fe content were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) . The crystalline phase ofTiO2 thin films comprised only the anatase TiO2, but the crystallinity decreased when the Fe3+ content increased from 0 to 2.5 %. During the Fe3+addition to 2.5%, the phase of TiO2 thin film still maintained the amorphous state. It was found that the addition of Fe ions suppressed the grain growthof crystals in the TiO2 thin film. The UV inducing hydrophilicity of the films was enhanced by doping Fe ions.

Keywords:

TiO2 thin film , Fe3+-doped , Anatase , Absorption edge