CREATION OF POROUS ANATASE TIO2 FILMS USING TIO2 NANOFLUID

Anatase nanocrystalline-TiO2 films are considered as attractive functional materials, using in dye-sensitized solar cells. It was observed that dyes have a higher affinity for anatase TiO2 nanoparticles. To obtain the anatase nanoparticles, suitable to use as photo-anode materials, there have been a number of reports on highly crystallized TiO2 (TiO2 particulates or films grown on transparent conducting glasses), often synthesized by hydrothermal methods. Although many of these reports have focused on anisotropic TiO2 morphologies such as nanorods and nanotubes, a crystal growth mechanism of porous TiO2 films using low temperature TiO2 synthesis (without hydrothermal reactions of the TiO2 nanoparticles) has not been fully understood. The purpose of this research is to establish a novel method to obtain porous TiO2 films comprising anatase TiO2 nanocrystals. TiO2 nanofluid was newly synthesized at 40 degrees C using TiCl4 in combination with dimethylformamide in aqueous solution. The spin-coat or squeeze methods were adapted to deposit the diluted nanofluids on conductive FTO glasses. The precursor films were subsequently sintered, using oven at 500 degrees C and 550 degrees C. SEM and XRD measurements were performed to characterize the size and shape of the nanocrystals as well as to understand the crystallization of the anatase TiO2 films formed by sintering process.