Novel TiO2 CVD films for semiconductor photocatalysis

A novel CVD film of titanium(IV) oxide has been prepared on glass, via the reaction of titanium(IV) chloride and ethyl acetate, using a CVD technique. The film is clear, very robust mechanically and comprised of a thin (24 nm) layer of nanocrystalline anatase titania that absorbs light of lambda < 360 nm. The film is active in terms of photo-induced superhydrophilicity, and thus its water contact angle is reduced markedly (from 61 to 11degrees) upon irradiation with ultra-bandgap light. The film is also active photocatalytically and is able to destroy a deposited layer of stearic acid upon exposure to ultra-bandgap light. The photo-induced superhydrophilic and photocatalytic activities of this film are compared with those for one comprised of P25 particles.