Hydrophilic and Photocatalytic Properties of TiO2/SiO2 Nano-layers in Dry Weather

This paper describes the changes in TiO2/SiO2 nanolayers properties induced by Ultraviolet- visible spectroscopy (UV) irradiation in terms of hydrophilicity/photocatalycity. The TiO2/SiO2 nano particles were synthesized by the sol-gel method and deposited on soda-lime glass by dip-coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the TiO2 particles showed that the nano-particles were crystallized in anatase crystal structure with a crystallite size of ~12 nm. The morphology and surface roughness of TiO2 nanolayer were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. The surface roughness (Ra) for TiO2/Glass and TiO2/SiO2 was measured ~ 5 and 19 nm, respectively. The hardness of nanolayers on the glass was evaluated and scratch thickness for 1000 g sinker was measured ~150 nm. The self-cleaning properties were tested in dry condition (RH<15%) under UV irradiation by evaluating the oleic acid photodegradation and monitoring the hydrophilic properties of the surface with a contact angle measurement. The  result showed that contact angle of the layer decreases from 77 to 42° after 25 h UV irradiation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy- Attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) showed the elimination of C=O bonds of oleic acid on the surface after UV light irradiation. Water droplet contact angle measurement on TiO2 nano-layer exhibited a less hydrophilicity after UV irradiation and the contact angle changed  from 15 to 40°, which may be due to the low atmospheric humidity. Adding SiO2 nanoparticles increases roughness of the nano-layer, from 5 to 19 nm, without a significant effect on the photodegradation rate of oleic acid.