TiO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) and their photocatalytic activities

Titanium dioxide thin film of controlled particle size distributions was prepared using the spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) process. The size and morphology of the titania particles exhibits strong dependency on the preparation conditions. The performance of the TiO2 thin film was examined for the photocatalytic oxidation of organic dyes (methyl orange, methylen blue). The material characterization of the TiO2 films was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). The optical absorption and the thickness of the films were measured using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Transmittance spectra of the thin films were measurements and energy band gaps were determined from the analysis of subtle features of the measured absorption coefficient. The optical stability of TiO2 thin film deposited by SPD was examined at various pH-values considering the future utilisation of the TiO2 thin film as catalyst in wastewater treatment. The catalyst activity demonstrated strong dependence on pH and on the structure of the dyes.