Visible Light Induced Super-Hydrophilicity on Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films
Single crystalline nitrogen and sulfur doped anatase TiO2 bipyramidal nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction on titanate nanotubes. The surface of these nanoparticles was oriented to the (101) face. The (101) face of anatase consists of bridged-site oxygen ions, which is very reactive for photoinduced hydrophilic conversion. These nanoparticles were highly dispersed in water, and thin films were coated by a facile spin-coating method using colloidal solution of nanoparticles. The crystal face of thin films was oriented to the (101) direction perpendicular to substrates. Thin films of these nanoparticles on the WO3 layer exhibited super-hydrophilic conversion under visible light illumination. The observed highly hydrophilic conversion was due to the visible light absorption and the crystal orientation of the bipyramidal TiO2 nanoparticles. Spin-coating method is an economical coating for large areas, and thin films in the present study have potential in applications on indoor products that possess antifogging and self-cleaning properties.