Photocatalytic Performance of Hybrid SiO2−TiO2 Films

In this paper, we have investigated the properties of a composite SiO2−TiO2/TiO2 nanoparticle system. Hybrid films have been prepared using a sol−gel process, starting from tetraisopropoxy titanate and 3-glycidoxipropyltrimethoxysilane as precursors and performing the synthesis at room temperature. The spin-coated films have been thoroughly characterized with UV−vis and FT-IR spectroscopies, TEM analysis, profilometry, and ellipsometry to evaluate their physical and structural properties. Particular attention has been devoted to the study of their photocatalytic action.