Preparation, structure and properties of TiO2–PVP hybrid films

The organic–inorganic hybrid films of TiO2–PVP have been prepared by the sol-gel process. The TiO2 was obtained by the hydrolysis of titanium n-butoxide (TNBT) under the catalysis of HCl. The hybrid film has a smooth surface with average roughness less than 3 nm. The thermal stability and structure of the gels have been studied by TGA and FTIR spectra, respectively. The TiO2–PVP films are transparent and their transmittance is high up to 93% in the visible light range. The microhardness and dielectric properties for the hybrid material films are dependent on the annealing temperature. The microhardness of the film reaches 2.65 GPa after heat treatment at 270°C for 0.5 h.