Effects of substrate surface functionality on solution-deposited titania films

Liquid-phase deposition (LPD) from aqueous solution, under mild conditions of temperature (less than or equal to55 degreesC) and PH (2.88-3.88), can produce thin (0.1-1.0 mum), adherent titania (TiO2) films. This paper reports a systematic study of LPD TiO2 films on variously prepared silicon wafer substrates, including (to our knowledge for the first time with LPD) several types of sulfonated surfaces (including sulfonated self-assembled monolayers and sulfonated polyelectrolyte multilayers). The growth rate and crystallinity of these films could be controlled by careful manipulation of solution parameters and surface functionality of the substrate.