Black TiO<sub>2</sub> Thin Films Production Using Hollow Cathode Hydrogen Plasma Treatment: Synthesis, Material Characteristics and Photocatalytic Activity

oleh: Armstrong Godoy Junior, André Pereira, Marcilene Gomes, Mariana Fraga, Rodrigo Pessoa, Douglas Leite, Gilberto Petraconi, Adailton Nogueira, Heberton Wender, Walter Miyakawa, Marcos Massi, Argemiro da Silva Sobrinho

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-03-01

Deskripsi

Black TiO<sub>2</sub> materials have been quite widely explored due to their large solar absorption and superior photocatalytic activity. In this paper, the blackening process of titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) thin film using the hollow cathode hydrogen plasma (HCHP) technique is reported. First, pristine anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> films were grown by magnetron sputtering onto silicon and cover glass substrates and then annealed at 450 &#176;C for 2 h. Then, the as-grown TiO<sub>2</sub> films were treated with HCHP for 15 min. The physical, chemical and morphological properties of the films were analyzed by profilometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Electrical and photocatalytic measurements were performed by four-point probe and methylene blue UV degradation assays, respectively. The results showed that the black TiO<sub>2</sub> film is highly absorbent in the UV-visible region, has low electrical resistance and greater surface area compared to the non-treated TiO<sub>2</sub> film. These properties of black TiO<sub>2</sub> film, as well as its performance as a photocatalytic agent, were investigated, indicating the superior quality of this material in thin film form and the promising potential of the HCHP treatment to produce hydrogenated TiO<sub>2</sub> in short process time.