Synthesis, characterization and hydrophilic properties of ZnFe2O4–TiO2 composite film

• ZnFe2O4–TiO2 composite films have been successfully prepared via a sol–gel method.
• It was deposited on glass slides through dip coating process.
• 7% ZnFe2O4–TiO2 film exhibits a superhydrophilic property with a contact angle 0°.
• The self-cleaning glasses also display antifogging property.

ZnFe2O4–TiO2 composite films have been successfully prepared via a sol–gel method and deposited on glass slides through dip coating process. The hydrophilicity of ZnFe2O4–TiO2 composite films was investigated by the contact angles measurements under different conditions, including heat treatment temperature, molar ratios of ZnFe2O4 to TiO2 and coating layers. The results revealed that the 7 mol% ZnFe2O4-TiO2 composite film exhibits an excellent superhydrophilic performance with a contact angle 0°. Compared with normal glass, the self-cleaning glasses also display antifogging property. The transmittance of ZnFe2O4–TiO2 composite films was characterized by UV–vis spectra in details. Coating layers and different molar percents of ZnFe2O4 all have impact on the light transmittance. Moreover, the structure and morphology of the ZnFe2O4–TiO2 sample were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

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