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Characterization and application of niobium-doped titanium dioxide thin films prepared by sol–gel process

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Abstract

Pure and Nb-doped TiO2 crystalline thin films with different molar ratios of niobium were produced by sol–gel process using the dip-coating method. The results of X-ray diffractometry analysis using Rietveld refinement confirmed the presence of the anatase phase and the partial substitution of Ti4+ by Nb5+ in the [TiO6] octahedra, since changes in the lattice parameters, crystalline strain and crystallite size were observed. The occupation of niobium atoms at the Ti4+ sites and an increase in the oxygen content were also determined. Atomic force microscopy analyses showed a uniform and homogeneous surface morphology and high-resolution transmission microscopy showed agglomerated nanoparticles. Nanoindentation and ellipsometry techniques evidenced that the insertion of Nb in the TiO2 matrix caused an increase in density and hardness (~ 18%) values and a reduction in the root mean square (RMS) values (30 and 75% of reduction for 3% and 1% Nb/TiO2). Nb-doped TiO2 thin films showed better performance in the photodegradation of methylene blue, reaching a degradation rate of 44% after 4 h of testing, against 26% for pure TiO2 thin film. The reaction rate was almost twice as high for the doped thin film, with a half-life time of 285 min versus 529 min for pure TiO2 film.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the funding agencies CAPES, CNPq and FAPEMIG, the Microscopy Center of UFMG for the images and the CBMM by the niobium precursor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanostructured Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil

    Gustavo Henrique M. Gomes, Magnum A. M. L. de Jesus, Marcelo M. Viana & Nelcy D. S. Mohallem

  2. Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, CECS, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5001, Bairro Santa Terezinha, Santo André, SP, Brazil

    André S. Ferlauto

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Gomes, G.H.M., de Jesus, M.A.M.L., Ferlauto, A.S. et al. Characterization and application of niobium-doped titanium dioxide thin films prepared by sol–gel process. Appl. Phys. A 127, 641 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04781-6

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