Effect of calcination temperature on the microstructure of porous TiO2 film

To obtain porous TiO2 film, the precursor sol was prepared by hydrolysis of Ti isopropoxide and then complexed with trehalose dihydrate. The porous TiO2 film was fabricated by the dip-coating technique on glass substrates using this solution. The TiO2 film was calcined at 500 °C. The maximum thickness of the film from one-run dip-coating was ca. 740 nm. The film was composed of nanosized particle and pores. The porosity of the TiO2 film was increased by addition of trehalose dihydrate to the sol. The porous TiO2 films were calcined at different temperatures. The effects of calcination temperature on the microstructure of the porous TiO2 film were investigated. The porous film prepared from sol containing trehalose still kept the porous structure after calcination at 950 °C. The phase transition temperature of the film from anatase to rutile was shifted from 650 to 700 °C by addition of trehalose to the sol.