Enhancement of the photocatalytic property of TiO2 columnar nanostructured films by changing deposition angle

• Isolated and inclined columnar TiO2 nanostructures were obtained by sputtering Ti, and subsequently annealing.
• The film performed photocatalytic decolorization effectively under UV irradiation.
• The photocatalytic efficiency increased with deposition angle, which results in a more porous micro structure of the films.

Isolated and inclined columnar nanostructured TiO2 films were obtained by sputtering titanium with glancing angle deposition method and subsequently annealing in air. Compared with flat film, TiO2 film fabricated with this method has higher porosity; compared with TiO2 powder, it overcomes the obstacles of immobilization and recycling. The TiO2 photocatalysis was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange under UV light. It was indicated that the photocatalytic performance increased with deposition angle, which changed the porosity of the films. The relationship between deposition angle (the angle between the target and substrate surface) and the TiO2 columnar inclination angle (the angle between TiO2 columnar and substrate normal) was discussed.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide