Autors: Stefanov, B. I.
Title: Optically Transparent TiO2 and ZnO Photocatalytic Thin Films via Salicylate-Based Sol Formulations
Keywords: TiO2; ZnO; salicylate; sol-gel synthesis; photocatalysis;

Abstract: Sol compositions for transparent TiO2 and ZnO photocatalytic thin film deposition are of interest for the fabrication of self-cleaning coatings. The choice of stabilizing agent is crucial for the sol film-forming properties. Salicylic acid (SA), chelating both Ti(IV) and Zn(II) precursors, remains underexplored. This study presents SA-based sol formulations for TiO2 and ZnO films, based on titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and zinc acetate dihydrate (ZAD) precursors, in a fixed 1:3 (TTIP:SA) and 1:2 (ZAD:SA) ratio, and isopropanol solvent, varied across the 1:10 to 1:20 precursor-to-solvent ratio range. FTIR analysis and DFT computations confirmed formation of H2Ti[SA]3 and Zn[SA]2·2H2O complexes. SEM, XRD, and UV/Vis were employed to study the dip-coated films, revealing dense TiO2 (86–205 nm) and ZnO (35–90 nm) layers. Methylene blue (MB) photooxidation experiments revealed that all films exhibit photocatalytic activity, with ZnO films being superior to TiO2.

References

    Issue

    Coatings, vol. 13, issue 9, pp. 1568, 2023, Switzerland, MDPI, https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13091568

    Copyright MDPI

    Вид: статия в списание, публикация в издание с импакт фактор, публикация в реферирано издание, индексирана в Scopus и Web of Science