Premium
Influence of the Metal Work Function on the Photocatalytic Properties of TiO 2 Layers on Metals
Author(s) -
Freitag Janna,
Bahnemann Detlef W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201500281
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , schottky barrier , semiconductor , work function , materials science , schottky diode , anatase , metal , layer (electronics) , chemical engineering , titanium dioxide , nanotechnology , inorganic chemistry , optoelectronics , chemistry , composite material , metallurgy , catalysis , diode , organic chemistry , engineering
The photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) layers on different metal plates are investigated. The metal–semiconductor interface can be described as a Schottky contact, and is part of a depletion layer for the majority carriers in the semiconductor. Many researchers have demonstrated an increase in the photocatalytic activity, due to the formation of a metal–semiconductor contact that are obtained by deposition of small metal islands on the semiconductor. Nevertheless, the influence of a Schottky contact remains uncertain, sparking much interest in this field. The immobilization of nanoparticulate TiO 2 layers by dip‐coating on different metal substrates results in the formation of a Schottky contact. The recombination rate of photoinduced electron–hole pairs decreases at this interface provided that the thickness of the thin TiO 2 layer has a similar magnitude to the depletion layer. The degradation of dichloroacetic acid in aqueous solution and of acetaldehyde in a gas mixture is investigated to obtain information concerning the influence of the metal work function of the back contact on the efficiency of the photocatalytic process.