Abstract
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip coating technique, in combination with annealing at different temperatures in air atmosphere, with the final goal of studying the water wettability of the surface. The annealing effects on the structural and optical properties of the ZrO2 films were investigated to check the characteristics of the material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of ZrO2 annealed at 450 °C and 550 °C show the formation of tetragonal phase, with layers constituted by nanoparticles with average particle size of 21 nm and 25 nm, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra revealed the presence of vibrational modes associated to ZrO2. Photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) spectroscopy was used for optical properties. All deposited ZrO2 thin films presented a high optical transparency, with an average transmittance above 70% in the visible range (400–700 nm). The hydrophilic properties of ZrO2 films were characterized by means of the measurements of the contact angle. When the sample was annealed at 550 °C, the hydrophilicity reached the best behavior, which was explained as an effect of the structural and morphological change of the films.
Highlights
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2 ) is a very useful semiconductor material with several application areas such as catalyst [1], sensor of chemical species [2], corrosion resistant coatings [3], and in solid oxide fuel cells as a solid electrolyte [4]
We reported the effect of the annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of the ZrO2 films, with emphasis on the changes of the hydrophilic characteristics, synthetized by sol gel-dip coating method
The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measuring
Summary
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2 ) is a very useful semiconductor material with several application areas such as catalyst [1], sensor of chemical species [2], corrosion resistant coatings [3], and in solid oxide fuel cells as a solid electrolyte [4]. The change of hydrophilic properties of ZrO2 after thermal treatments has become the material important for a large variety of applications, like the surface wettability controllable-switching and self-cleaning of many kinds of surfaces. This phenomenon, considered as thermo-induced hydrophilicity, is observed in the change of the water contact angle with the annealing temperature. We reported the effect of the annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of the ZrO2 films, with emphasis on the changes of the hydrophilic characteristics, synthetized by sol gel-dip coating method. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measuring
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