Preparation of TiO₂/MCM-41 by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and its photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Titanium dioxide is coated on the surface of MCM-41 wafer through the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method using titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) as a precursor. Annealing temperature is a key factor affecting crystal phase of titanium dioxide. It will transform an amorphous structure to a polycrystalline structure by increasing temperature. The optimum anatase phase of TiO₂ which can acquire the best methanol conversion under UV-light irradiation is obtained under an annealing temperature of 700°C for 2 h, substrate temperature of 500°C, 70 mL·min^-1 of oxygen flow rate, and 100 W of plasma power. In addition, the films are composed of an anatase-rutile mixed phase, and the ratio of anatase to rutile varies with substrate temperature and oxygen flow rate. The particle sizes of titanium dioxide are between 30.3 nm and 59.9 nm by the calculation of Scherrer equation. Under the reaction conditions of 116.8 mg·L^-1 methanol, 2.9 mg·L^-1 moisture, and 75°C of reaction temperature, the best conversion of methanol with UV-light is 48.2% by using the anatase-rutile (91.3/8.7) mixed phase TiO₂ in a batch reactor for 60 min. While under fluorescent light irradiation, the best photoactivity appears by using the anatase-rutile (55.4/44.6) mixed phase TiO₂ with a conversion of 40.0%.

Keywords

photocatalyst / titanium dioxide / MCM-41 / plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD)

References

[1] Euvananont C, Junin C, Inpor K, Limthongkul P, Thanachayanont C. TiO₂ optical coating layers for self-cleaning applications. Ceramics International, 2008, 34(4): 1067–1071

[2] Dholam R, Patel N, Adami M, Miotello A. Physically and chemically synthesized TiO₂ composite thin films for hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting.International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2008, 33(23): 6896–6903

[3] Ghezzar M R, Abdelmalek F, Belhadj M, Benderdouche N, Addou A. Enhancement of the bleaching and degradation of textile wastewaters by Gliding arc discharge plasma in the presence of TiO₂ catalyst. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009, 164(2-3): 1266–1274

[4] Suhail M H, Rao G M, Mohan S. DC reactive magnetron sputtering of titanium-structural and optical characterization of TiO₂ films. Journal of Applied Physics, 1992, 71(3): 1421–1427

[5] Takahashi Y, Suzuki H, Nasu M. Rutile growth at the surface of TiO₂ films deposited by vapour-phase decomposition of isopropyl titanate. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions 1: Physical Chemistry in Condensed Phases, 1985, 81(12): 3117–3125

[6] Lee W G, Woo S I, Kim J C, Choi S H, Oh K H. Preparation and properties of amorphous TiO₂ thin films by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Thin Solid Films, 1994, 237(1-2): 105–111

[7] Lee Y H. A role of energetic ions in RF-biased PECVD of TiO_2. Vacuum, 1999, 51(4): 503509

[8] Battiston G A, Gerbasi R, Gregori A, Porchia M, Cattarin S, Rizzi G A. PECVD of amorphous TiO₂ thin films: effect of growth temperature and plasma gas composition. Thin Solid Films, 2000, 371(1-2): 126–131

[9] Hsiao L C. Develop a extraction method of novel materials which are applied on Volatile Organic Compounds in air. Dissertation for the Master Degree. Taoyuan: Central University, 2005 (in Chinese)

[10] Sadjadi M S, Farhadyar N, Zare K. Synthesis of nanosize MCM-41 loaded with TiO₂ and study of its photocatalytic activity. Superlattices and Microstructures, 2009, 46(1-2): 266–271

[11] Signoretto M, Ghedini E, Trevisan V, Bianchi C L, Ongaro M, Cruciani G. TiO₂-MCM-41 for the photocatalytic abatement of NOx in gas phase. Applied Catalysis B:Environmental, 2010, 95(1-2): 130–136

[12] Grill A. Cold Plasma in Materials Fabrication. 1st ed. Wiley-IEEE Press, 1994, 1–23

[13] Chou H P. Structure and photocatalysis of undoped and nitrogen-doped titanium oxide films by reactive sputtering. Dissertation for the Master Degree. Taitung: Dong Hwa University, 2004 (in Chinese)

[14] Mwabora J M, Lindgren T, Avendaño E, Jaramillo T F, Lu J, Lindquist S E, Granqvist C G. Structure, composition, and morphology of photoelectrochemically active TiO_2-xN_x thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2004, 108(52): 20193–20198

[15] Zhang Q H, Gao L, Guo J K. Effects of sulfate ions and hydrolytic temperature on the properties of TiCl₄-derived nanostructured TiO₂. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2000, 15(6): 992–998 (in Chinese)

[16] Liqiang J, Xiaojun S, Weimin C, Zili X, Yaoguo D, Honggang F. The preparation and characterization of nanoparticle TiO₂/Ti films and their photocatalytic activity. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 2003, 64(4): 615–623

[17] McCurdy P R, Sturgess L J, Kohli S, Fisher E R. Investigation of the PECVD TiO₂-Si(100) interface. Applied Surface Science, 2004, 233(1-4): 69–79

[18] Herman G S, Dohnalek Z, Ruzycki N, Diebold U. Experimental investigation of the interaction of water and methanol with anatase-TiO₂(101). Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2003, 107(12): 2788–2795

[19] Bickley R I, Gonzalez-Carreno T, Lees J S, Palmisano L, Tilley R J D. A structural investigation of titanium dioxide photocatalysts. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 1991, 92(1): 178–190

[20] Serpone N, Maruthamuthu P, Pichat P, Pelizzetti E, Hidaka H. Exploiting the interparticle electron transfer process in the photocatalysed oxidation of phenol, 2-chlorophenol and pentachlorophenol: chemical evidence for electron and hole transfer between coupled semiconductors. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A Chemistry, 1995, 85(3): 247–255

[21] Yan Q Z, Su X T, Zhou Y P, Ge C C. Controlled synthesis of TiO₂ nanometer powders by sol-gel auto-igniting process and their structural property. Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica, 2005, 21(1): 57–62 (in Chinese)

[22] Lee K B. Photocatalytic degradation of methanol gas with TiO₂ thin films by plasma enhanced CVD. Dissertation for the Master Degree. Taichung: Chung Hsing University, 2006 (in Chinese)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg