Abstract
The present study evaluated the main factors that influence the photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide (TiO2) films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at 400 and 500 °C, in different growth times. The photocatalytic behavior was analyzed by measuring the methyl orange dye degradation at different pH values. Structural and morphological characteristics, and the recyclability of the catalysts for several cycles were also investigated. Anatase phase was identified in all films. The higher photodegradation performances were obtained at acidic pH. The results demonstrated that the photocatalyst thickness is an important parameter in heterogenous photocatalysis. The best photocatalytic result occurred for the 395 nm-thick TiO2 film grown at 400 °C, which presented 65.3% of the dye degradation under UV light. The recyclability experiments demonstrated that the TiO2 films grown by MOCVD present a great stability after several photocatalytic cycles, which allows their practical application for water treatment with high efficiency.
Highlights
In recent decades, the scientific interest using semiconductor materials in oxidative processes for water treatment has increased exponentially.[1]
A high specific surface area may favor a greater formation of hydroxyl radicals (HO), which results in the increase of the photocatalytic efficiency and regeneration time of the catalyst.[6]
The growth temperature is an important parameter that influences the morphological characteristics of the TiO2 films obtained by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).[25]
Summary
The scientific interest using semiconductor materials in oxidative processes for water treatment has increased exponentially.[1]. Bento and Pillis[4] evaluated the influence of the thickness on the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 films grown by MOCVD on the degradation of methyl orange dye under UV light.
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