The influence of La-doping on the properties of TiO2 thin films

Anatase TiO2 and La-doped TiO2 thin films have been prepared by using sol-gol method and post-annealing at 500°C The crystal structure, morphology and photocatalytic activity were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), UV-VIS spectrophotometer and contact angle meters. The results showed that the doping of La could improve the crystallization of TiO2, and increase the band gap of TiO2 film. However, the La will act as the recombination center of electron-hole, resulting in the increase of the contact angle of TiO2 films.