Advanced methods for titanium (IV) oxide thin functional coatings

The paper reports on preparation of titanium (IV) oxide thin films by a series of chemical, physico-chemical and physical methods including the sol–gel process carried out in the environment of lyotropic liquid crystals, Barrier-torch Discharge deposition, Magnetron Sputtering and the Modulated Hollow Cathode Plasma Jet Sputtering. The produced layers have been thoroughly described by means of a series of characterization techniques including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, profilometry and surface wettability. The films were then used as photoactive species in catalytic oxidation tests based on photoinduced decomposition of methylester of stearic acid.