Titanium Dioxide Thin Films for Environmental Applications

*Wafa Selmi, Nabil Hosni, Jamila Ben Naceur, Hager Maghraoui-Meherzi and Radhouane Chtourou*

### **Abstract**

The environmental pollution and the rapid depletion of fossil fuel caused by the rapid increase in industrial production became serious problems for humans. These issues have inspired many researchers to found eco-friendly materials, which can degrade pollutants and produce green energy. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films are one of the important and promising semiconductor materials for environmental and energy applications because of their unique optical and electronic properties. In this chapter, an overview of the background of TiO2 structure and the different methods of synthesis TiO2 thin films were carried out. The photocatalytic water treatment and the water split for H2 production by TiO2 thin films were investigated. The strong influence on photocatalytic and water split efficiency of TiO2 thin films by crystal structure, surface area, crystalline structure, average particle size and porosity were summarized.

**Keywords:** titanium dioxide, thin films, photocatalytic, water splitting, H2 production, energy and clean environmental

### **1. Introduction**

The industrial revolution has generated the rapid depletion of fossil fuel and the environmental pollution, which have become the most pressing human problems. Nowadays, urgent need to explore environmentally friendly technologies is indispensable to get clean energy and protect the environment.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) have been widely investigated in academic research [1, 2] and extensively involved in industrial applications to their abundancy, durability, no toxicity, the high photoactivity and the photoelechemical proprieties.

TiO2 thin films were successfully synthesis by physical and chemical techniques such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), RF magnetron sputtering, electrodeposition, sol–gel, hydrothermal, spin-spraying, spin coating, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical bath deposition (CBD).

Since the discover in the 70's by Fujishima and Honda [3] many research have investigated the production of hydrogen by TiO2 photoelectrodes under ultraviolet light. For that, TiO2 semiconductor photocatalysis is considered as the promising material to address both hydrogen production and pollutant degradation.
