Investigation of TiO2 Deposit on SiO2 Films: Synthesis, Characterization, and Efficiency for the Photocatalytic Discoloration of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution

Bibliographic Details
Title: Investigation of TiO2 Deposit on SiO2 Films: Synthesis, Characterization, and Efficiency for the Photocatalytic Discoloration of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Yuliana de Jesús Acosta-Silva, Manuel Toledano-Ayala, Salvador Gallardo-Hernández, Luis A. Godínez, Arturo Méndez-López
Source: Nanomaterials, Vol 13, Iss 8, p 1403 (2023)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Chemistry
Subject Terms: dip-coating, TiO2-SiO2 thin films, photocatalytic processes, methylene blue, sol-gel, UV-visible light, Chemistry, QD1-999
More Details: TiO2-SiO2 thin films were created on Corning glass substrates using a simple method. Nine layers of SiO2 were deposited; later, several layers of TiO2 were deposited, and their influence was studied. Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron spectroscopy (HRTEM), an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to describe the sample’s shape, size, composition, and optical characteristics. Photocatalysis was realized through an experiment involving the deterioration of methylene blue (MB) solution exposed to UV-Vis radiation. With the increase of TiO2 layers, the photocatalytic activity (PA) of the thin films showed an increasing trend, and the maximum degradation efficiency of MB by TiO2-SiO2 was 98%, which was significantly higher than that obtained by SiO2 thin films. It was found that an anatase structure was formed at a calcination temperature of 550 °C; phases of brookite or rutile were not observed. Each nanoparticle’s size was 13–18 nm. Due to photo-excitation occurring in both the SiO2 and the TiO2, deep UV light (λ = 232 nm) had to be used as a light source to increase photocatalytic activity.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 13081403
2079-4991
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/8/1403; https://doaj.org/toc/2079-4991
DOI: 10.3390/nano13081403
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/a85862e5db8c48dd974f68c5051eefd3
Accession Number: edsdoj.85862e5db8c48dd974f68c5051eefd3
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:13081403
20794991
DOI:10.3390/nano13081403
Published in:Nanomaterials
Language:English