Fabrication of photocatalytic heat-mirror with TiO2/TiN/TiO2 stacked layers

The photocatalytic heat-mirror based on TiO2/TiN/TiO2 stacked layers is prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering on quartz substrates under substrate-heating condition. We find that the addition of a thin Ti interlayer between the TiN and the outer TiO2 layers drastically improves the heat-insulating performance. This type of stacked layer also exhibits higher photocatalytic activity for decomposition of acetaldehyde gas, compared with a TiO2 single layer. The optical property of the TiN in TiO2/TiN/TiO2 stacked layers is the key not only revealing excellent heat-insulating effect but also improving the photocatalytic performance of the outer TiO2 layers in the stacked layers.