Photocatalytic activity of TiO2:In2O3 nanocomposite films towards the degradation of arylmethane and azo dyes

The photocatalytic activity of TiO2:In2O3 nanocomposite films derived from the mixed sols of individual oxides was investigated using a photodegradation of adsorbed arylmethane and azo dyes under UV illumination in contact with air. It has been shown that the photoactivity of TiO2:In2O3 films towards the destruction of polar dyes exhibits non-additive variations with Ti/In ratio and correlates well with the intrinsic hydrophilicity of nanocomposite films, whereas the photodegradation of non-polar dyes occurs most rapidly at pure titania. The observed effects are discussed in terms of different mechanisms of the photodegradation of probing dyes and inhomogeneity of photocatalyst surface.