Physical and Optical Properties of Microscale Meshes of Ti3O5 Nano- and Microfibers Prepared via Annealing of C-Doped TiO2 Thin Films Aiming at Solar Cell and Photocatalysis Applications

Abstract

Ti 3O 5 nano- and microfibers were obtained via annealing of C-doped TiO 2 thin films aiming at solar cell electrodes and photocatalysis applications. 1.5wt% and 3.0 wt% carbon-doped TiO 2 films were deposited by e-beam evaporation and were annealed for 120min at 700?C, 900?C and 1000?C in wet nitrogen (0.8%H 2O). The films were analyzed by different techniques such as Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) conducted in a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). It was noteworthy that the nano- and microfibers were formed for TiO 2 films annealed at 1000?C temperature. In this case, the amorphous TiO 2 phase gave rise to crystalline phases of ?-Ti 3O 5 (75%) and rutile + trace of TiO 2-xC x (25%) with a mesh of Ti 3O 5 fibers over a C-doped TiO 2 layer. ?The Electrochemical Society.