Preparing and applying nanosheets in controlling the orientation of TiO2 thin films

In this study, a sol–gel technique involving a spin-coating method was used to prepare TiO2 thin films with a Ca2Nb3O10 (CNO) nanosheet additive on glass substrates. The CNO nanosheet was prepared through chemical solution exfoliation, and its formation was confirmed through direct observation by using a transmission electron microscopy. The structure and morphology of the thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The anatase phase TiO2 thin films were obtained with post-deposition annealing at 400–700 °C. The crystallinity of TiO2 thin films mainly depended on the concentration of CNO and annealing temperature. The TiO2 thin films prepared with 1.96 wt% CNO nanosheet which annealed at 700 °C exhibited a strong (004) peak in XRD pattern, and show a preferred orientation along the c-axis.