Enhanced Pt/TiO2 thin films prepared by electron beam irradiation

Pt/TiO2 films were prepared by electron beam deposition of platinum on TiO2 films. The composition and morphology of the films were characterized by XRD, XPS, FMSEM and UV-visible spectrometry. Pt particles with diameter of 5 nm were observed on surface of the films. The red shift in absorption spectrum was found for the films. The photocatalytic capability of the films were tested by degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solutions under both UV and visible light illumination. Higher photocatalytic efficiencies are found in Pt/TiO2 films prepared by the electron beam deposition than that in films prepared by the ordinary photodeposition method.