Morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2–Fe2O3 multilayers

Morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2, Fe2O3 and TiO2–Fe2O3 samples (formed by 1, 3 and 5 coatings) were studied. The layers were deposited on glass substrate by the sol–gel method. The catalytic activity of the samples was studied by the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light illumination. The FTIR results indicate that all samples present surface OH radicals that are bound either to the Ti or Fe atoms. This effect is better visualized at larger number of coatings in the TiO2–Fe2O3/glass systems. Also, two mechanisms are observed during the photodecomposition of the MB.