Low-temperature fabrication and photocatalytic activity of clustered TiO2 particles formed on glass fibers

Clustered anatase phase TiO2 particles were uniformly formed on the surface of glass fibers by a liquid phase deposition (LPD) method at 60 °C using TiF4 and H3BO3 as the precursors. The clustered TiO2 particles deposited on the glass fibers and as a photocatalyst these particles not only have a larger surface area than TiO2 thin films, but also can avoid the disadvantages of using TiO2 powders encountered in air purification or water treatment. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen monoxide (NO) in the gaseous phase. The deposition conditions and chemical composition of the clustered TiO2 particles were discussed. It was found that the clustered TiO2 particles that formed on the glass fibers obviously showed photocatalytic activity without high-temperature calcination. A formation mechanism was proposed to account for the formation of TiO2 clustered morphology on the glass fibers.