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Morphology Phase Diagram of Slot‐Die Printed TiO 2 Films Based on Sol–Gel Synthesis
Author(s) -
Li Nian,
Song Lin,
Bießmann Lorenz,
Xia Senlin,
Ohm Wiebke,
Brett Calvin J.,
Hadjixenophontos Efi,
Schmitz Guido,
Roth Stephan V.,
MüllerBuschbaum Peter
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.201900558
Subject(s) - materials science , anatase , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , nanostructure , scanning electron microscope , mesoporous material , transmission electron microscopy , phase (matter) , sol gel , nanowire , thin film , photocatalysis , composite material , catalysis , organic chemistry , chemistry , engineering
Mesoporous titania films with tailored nanostructures are fabricated via slot‐die printing, which is a simple and cost‐effective thin‐film deposition technique with the possibility of a large‐scale manufacturing. Based on this technique, which is favorable in industry, TiO 2 films possess the similar advantage with polymer semiconducting devices like ease of large‐scale production. The titania morphologies, including foam‐like nanostructures, nanowire aggregates, collapsed vesicles and nanogranules, are achieved via a so‐called block‐copolymer‐assisted sol–gel synthesis. By adjusting the weight fraction of reactants, the ternary morphology phase diagram of the printed titania films is probed after template removal. The surface and inner morphology evolutions are explored with scanning electron microscopy and grazing incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering, respectively. Special focus is set on foam‐like titania nanostructures as they are of especial interest for, e.g., solar cell applications. At a low weight fraction of the titania precursor titanium(IV)isopropoxide (TTIP), foam‐like titania films are achieved, which exhibit a high uniformity and possess large pore sizes. The anatase phase of the highly crystalline titania films is verified with X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.