Photocatalytic activity and reusability study of nanocrystalline TiO2 films prepared by sputtering technique

The photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) films deposited on unheated glass substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures was tested on the decolorization of Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) aqueous solutions. The dye photodecolorization process was studied considering the influence of the crystallinity and preferred orientation of growth of the prepared films. It was found that the higher photocatalytic activity was achieved by the film with preferred orientation of growth along the (1 0 1) crystal direction and showing a vestigial rutile phase in a mainly anatase phase. The recycling catalytic ability of the TiO2 films was also evaluated and a promising photocatalytic performance has been revealed with a very low variation of the decay rate after five consecutive usages. Structural and morphological characterization revealed high photochemical stability of the films after successive photodegradations assays.