The Effect of SiO2 Addition in Hydrophilic Property of TiO2 Films

In this research, TiO2 - SiO2 composite films are prepared by sol-gel method. The relationship between the effect and amount of SiO2 addition on properties of TiO2 films is investigated. X-ray diffraction, SEM observation of the microstructure and infra-red spectroscopy is used to determine the film's property. It was found that the SiO2 addition less than 40 mol% has a suppressive effect on the transformation of anatase to rutile and on the crystal growth of anatase in calcinations and thus the large specific surface area is maintained. With the consequence that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 and capability of holding absorbed water are increased during UV irradiation. Thus the self-cleaning effect is improved.