On the Investigation of Sol-Gel TiO2 Nanostructured Films Applied on Windshields Pre-Coated with SiO2 Layer by Dip-Coating Method

Tio2-sio2 photocatalytic nanostructure film on windshield was prepared via sol–gel dip-coating method for self-cleaning purposes. tio2 films were prepared on automotive glass pre-coated with a sio2 layer by a dip-coating method followed by annealing at 500 °c for 30 min. the films were characterized using x-ray diffraction (xrd) and scanning electron microscopy (sem, fe-sem) techniques. the tio2-sio2 films were transparent, uniform and crack-free and the temperature was best chosen. xrd shows that sio2 pre-coated layer comparatively prevent rare elements ions diffusion from substrate to avoid unfavorable compounds. the results illustrate the crystalline anatase as main phase for films annealed at 500 °c with average crystallite size of 22-26 nm, which was preferable due to much higher photocatalytic activity of anatase compared to rutile phase. the fe-sem surface morphology results indicate that the particle size was 22 nm, whereas some pores observed in the coatings which were due to un-perfect solvent evaporation.