Preparation, formation mechanism and mechanical properties of multilayered TiO2–organic nanocomposite film

TiO2–organic multilayered nanocomposite films were deposited on a self-assembled monolayer-coated silicon substrate based on layer-by-layer technique and chemical bath deposition method by a hydrolysis of TiCl4 in an acid aqueous solution. The chemical compositions, surface morphologies and mechanical properties of the films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindentation depth-sensing technique, respectively. The results indicate that the major chemical compositions of the films are Ti and O. The principal mechanism for the nucleation and growth of the films is homogeneous nucleation, and the layer number of films has great influence on the surface morphology and roughness of the films. In addition, mechanical nanoindentation testing presents a significant increase in hardness and fracture toughness of titanium dioxide multilayered films compared with single-layer titanium dioxide thin film.