Photocatalytic properties of TiO2 thin films modified with Ag and Pt nanoparticles deposited by gas flow sputtering

In this work, a gas flow sputtering (GFS) process which allows the production and deposition ofmetal nanoparticles (NPs) in a vacuum environment is described. Aim of the study is to prove thepotential of this technology for the fabrication of new TiO2 films with enhanced photocatalytic properties.For this purpose, Ag and Pt NPs have been produced and deposited on photocatalytic floatglass coated with TiO2 thin films by magnetron sputtering. The influence of the process parametersand of the metal amount on the final properties of the particles (quantity, size, size distribution,oxidation state etc.,) was widely investigated. Moreover, the effect of the NPs on the photocatalyticactivity of the resulting materials was evaluated for the case of the decomposition of stearic acid(SA) during UV-A irradiation. The reduction of the water contact angle (WCA) during the irradiationperiod was measured in order to test the photo-induced super-hydrophilicity (PSH).