No abstract

The rutile TiO 2 films with columnar nanostructure were prepared by combining the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique in magnetron sputtering system with the subsequent two-step annealing treatment. Experimental results showed that all the TiO 2 films kept discrete columnar structures as the Ti films deposited by GLAD and accomplished the phase transition from Ti to rutile TiO 2 . Such TiO 2 films performed photocatalytic activity effectively and reusably towards methyl orange under UV light irradiation, which demonstrates the potential applications in wastewater treatment.

Columnar nanostructured TiO2films were prepared by sputtering Ti target in pure argon with glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and subsequent annealing at 400°C for different hours in air. Compared with sputtering TiO2target directly, sputtering Ti target can be carried out under much lower base pressure, which contributes to obtaining discrete columnar nanostructures. In the present study, TiO2films obtained by annealing Ti films for different hours all kept discrete columnar structures as the Ti films deposited in GLAD regime. The longer the annealing time was, the better the phase transition accomplished from Ti to TiO2(a mixture of rutile and anatase), and the better it crystallized. In addition, those TiO2films performed photocatalytic decolorization effectively and showed a law changing over annealing time under UV light irradiation towards methyl orange, which demonstrated the potential applications for treatment of effluent.