Effect of Various Surface Treatments on Wettability and Morphological Properties of Titanium Oxide Thin Films

The effect of three popular surface activation methods for a titanium oxide (titania) surface was thoroughly investigated to identify the most effective protocol for the enhancement of hydrophilicity. All the methods, namely H2O2 activation, UV irradiation and oxygen plasma treatment resulted in an enhanced hydrophilic titania surface, which was evidenced by the reduced contact angle values. To study in detail the chemical and morphological features responsible for the increased hydrophilicity, the treated surfaces were submitted to inspection with atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The correlation between the treatment and titania surface hydroxylation as well as hydrophilic behavior have been discussed.

Automated summary

This study thoroughly investigated the effect of three popular surface activation methods on the titanium oxide surface to identify the most effective protocol for enhancing hydrophilicity. The results showed that all three methods resulted in an enhanced hydrophilic surface, as evidenced by reduced contact angle values. The chemical and morphological features responsible for the increased hydrophilicity were further examined using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.