The fabrication of visible light responsive Ag-SiO 2 co-doped TiO 2 thin films by the sol–gel method

Abstract

In this study we have successfully deposited Ag-SiO 2 co-doped TiO 2 thin films on glass substrates by the sol–gel method. After being coated by a dip coating method, the film was transparent, smooth and had strong adhesion on the glass surface. The deposited film was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate its crystallization, transmittance and surface structure. The antifogging ability is explained by the contact angle of water on the surface of the glass substrates under visible-light. The obtained results show that Ag-SiO 2 co-doped TiO 2 film has potential applications for self cleaning and anti-bacterial ceramic tiles.