Rutile supported anatase nanostructured films as photocatalysts for the degradation of water contaminants

For the first time, sintered TiO2 (rutile) substrate is utilized as a support for anatase TiO2 films. Ti4+ precursor resin was deposited by spin coating onto rutile substrates and the films were calcined at different temperatures (350–500 °C) to form anatase. Anatase (101) formation was dependent on calcination temperature. The growth and properties of the films are also related to the substrate. The films presented bandgaps in the range of 2.86–2.79 eV and photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B under UV light followed a pseudo-first order kinetics. The films maintained their photocatalytic properties after four consecutive test cycles where the films calcined at 450 and 500 °C showed superior photocatalytic activity which is attributed to adequate crystallinity of anatase. The coexistence of anatase and rutile using our experimental approach is simple, and the photocatalytic activity of the films is robust and approximately unaltered after four degradation cycles.