Photocatalytic activity of Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin films prepared via liquid-phase deposition

Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin films with high photocatalytic activity were prepared via liquid-phase deposition method by adding H3BO3 solution into (NH4)(2)TiF6-HFeF4 mixture solution supersaturated with anatase nano-crystalline TiO2 at 35 degreesC. The Fe3+ concentration in the deposited thin films was measured by ICP-AES. The effects of the deposition conditions on the structure, the surface morphology, the thickness and the performance of Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin films were studied by XRD, AFM, UV-Vis and step profilometer. The photocatalytic activity of Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin films was evaluated by degradation of methylene blue. The results indicated that, when n(H3BO3)/n(TiF62-) = 2 similar to 4, the anatase TiO2 existed in the deposited thin films. In the degradation of methylene blue I the catalytic activity of Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin films with w(Fe3+) = 0.05% calcined at 300 degreesC reached a maximum, being 3.9 and 1.4 times as high as that as-deposited at 35 V and that without Fe3+ calcined at 300 degreesC, respectively.