The Influence of Surface Treatment on Photocatalytic Activity of PE CVD TiO 2 Thin Films

The aim of this paper is investigation of the photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 thin films prepared by PECVD with metal nanoparticles built‐up on the film surface. The deposition of TiO 2 films was carried out in the radio frequency (RF) low‐pressure PECVD reactor. Layers were deposited at two different substrate temperatures (40 and 300 °C). The surface of TiO 2 films was subsequently covered by noble metal nanoparticles—silver, platinum, and gold, deposited by different methods. For determination of the photocatalytic decomposition the Acid orange 7 (AO7) C 16 H 11 N 2 NaO 4 S organic dye was used. Selected samples were used for antibacterial tests (Gram‐negative bacteria Escherichia coli ). The results clearly proved that presence of metal clusters resulted in enhancement of the photocatalytic and antibacterial activity.