Design and photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2/ZrO2 thin films

Optically transparent, crack-free mesoporous titania and zirconia-doped titania thin films were fabricated by the sol-gel technique using the non-ionic amphiphilic triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 as the template. The structure and optical properties of these films were characterized using TEM, low-angle XRD, DTA/TG measurements, UV-vis spectroscopy and hexane adsorption investigations. It was found that addition of ZrO2 into the TiO2 matrix retarded sintering of the films, thereby increasing the specific surface area after treatment up to 500 degrees C. The catalytic activity of the mesoporous TiO2 and TiO2/(5-30%) ZrO2 films in ethanol photo-oxidation increased with increasing specific surface area and surface acidity of the samples.