Structural and Optical Characteristics of TiO2 nanoparticles-containing mesoporous silica (SBA-15) thin films

Abstract

The thin films of ordered mesoporous silica (SBA-15) with nanometer-sized pores have been formed on silicon substrates. It was confirmed that the pores were hexagonally ordered as the stacking of rows of pores and silica walls in the direction normal to the substrate surface. From the results of X-ray reflectivity and diffraction the pore size and wall thickness were evaluated to be ∼4.8 nm and ∼2.1 nm, respectively. Furthermore, titanium dioxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized in the pores of SBA-15 thin film. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of SBA-15 thin film after TiO2 synthesis indicated that the nanoparticles in the pores were titanium dioxide which included a small amount of defects. The optical reflectance of TiO 2-containing SBA-15 film decreased at wavelengths shorter than 350 nm as compared with that of SBA-15 film before the TiO2 synthesis, resulting in optical absorption by the TiO2 nanoparticles in the pores of SBA-15. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.