Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5465052 | Surface and Coatings Technology | 2017 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering operated in multi-pulse mode (m-HiPIMS) of a pure Ti target in Ar/N2/O2 gas mixture (mass flow rates of 50, 2 and 0.16Â sccm, respectively) has been used for the deposition of titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) thin films with variable content of nitrogen (from 0.6Â at.% to 24.2Â at.%). Increase of the nitrogen content in the deposited TiOxNy thin films determined a decrease of the optical bandgap energy and a corresponding increase of visible light adsorption. The photocatalytic activity for water molecule splitting of the films deposited on metallic substrate, which were used as the photo-anode in an electrochemical cell, has been investigated by measurements of photoelectrochemical current intensity versus biasing voltage during on/off cycles of visible light irradiation (sun light simulated by a xenon lamp). The as-deposited films have a short range order corresponding to rutile and anatase structures and showed very weak photocatalytic activity and chemical instability in the electrolyte of the photoelectrochemical cell. However, a post-deposition annealing treatment of the film with low content of nitrogen (0.6Â at.%) improved considerably the visible-light photocatalytic activity, the film crystalline order and chemical stability.
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Authors
Alexandra Demeter, Florentina Samoila, Vasile Tiron, Dana Stanescu, Helene Magnan, Mihai Straticiuc, Ion Burducea, Lucel Sirghi,