Preparation and enhanced daylight-induced photo-catalytic activity of transparent C-Doped TiO2 thin films

The transparent C-doped TiO₂ nanostructure films were fabricated on the silicate glass substrates by sol-gel spin-coated method. The as-prepared films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible absorption spectra (UV-vis) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the photo-catalytic oxidation of methylene blue in aqueous under daylight irradiation at room temperature. The results show that the daylight-induced photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared films are improved by the C-doping. The calcination temperatures significantly affect the morphology, microstructure and photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples. At 723 K, the C-doped TiO₂ films exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity due to the synergetic effects of good crystallization, appropriate oxygen vacancies and strong absorption in the near UV and visible-light region.