Cost-Effective Production Of Ag-Doped Titania Thin Films On The Glass Substrates For Photochromic And Hydrophilic Applications

Photochromic coatings of silver-doped titania were swiftly synthesized on glass substrates through a two-step methodology. The titania gels were first synthesized using the sol-gel method, followed by the development of thin films through the spin coating technique. The as-fabricated thin films were subsequently immersed in a one-molar silver nitrate solution for doping with silver. The photochromic behavior of the as-dipped Ag-doped titania thin films was exhibited following successive cycles of UV irradiation, attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance. The structural properties examined through X-ray diffractogram (XRD) on the spin-coated Ag-doped titania films revealed the face-centered cubic structure of silver, with the most prominent peak observed at a Bragg angle of 32 degrees. The analysis conducted using field emission scanning electron microscopy in cross-sectional mode revealed the existence of a titania thin film on the glass substrate, measuring approximately 136 nm in thickness. Reflectance measurements on Ag-doped and undoped titania thin films studied by ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy (UV-VIS-NIR) revealed a shift in the UV-A spectral region, specifically from 350 to 410 nm, along with a decrease in reflectance in the near-infrared range. The examination of wetting properties on the photochromic titania coating validated the 16O contact angle in the presence of a water droplet, suggesting its suitability for hydrophilic applications. Moreover, upon exposure to visible light, the photochromic characteristic of the Ag-doped titania coating was observed through a color transition from sky blue to brown.