Influence of heat treatment on the particle size of nanobrookite TiO2 thin films produced by sol–gel method

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 206; no. 1; pp. 37 - 42
• Main Authors: Arıer, Ümit Özlem Akkaya, Tepehan, Fatma Zehra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15-10-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Heat treatment; Materials science; Metals. Metallurgy; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanobrookite; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Particle size; Physics; Production techniques; Scanning electron microscopy; Sol-gel processes; Sol–gel; Surface treatment; Surface treatments; Temperature; Thin films; TiO2; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; Temperature; Particle size; Sol–gel; Nanobrookite; TiO2; Thin films; Sol-gel; Surface treatments; TiO; Titanium oxide; Sol-gel process; Heat treatments
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2011.06.039

Pure nanobrookite titania (TiO2) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by the spin-coating method using titanium butoxide and acetic acid. The particle sizes of TiO2 films were controlled by heat treatment temperatures. The activation energy for particle growth was calculated as 23.1kJ/mol. The structural and optical properties of the nanobrookite TiO2 thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
►Nanobrookite TiO2 films were deposited on glass substrates by spin-coating method. ►We produced the pure nanobrookite films using titanium butoxide and acetic acid. ►Particle size of the TiO2 films was controlled by the heat treatment temperature. ►We determined that it is possible to obtain the films with single orientation. ►We calculated the activation energy of pure nanobrookite films.