Effect of crystal structure on photoinduced superhydrophilicity of copper grafted TiO2 nanostructure thin film

In this work, copper grafted titanium dioxide (rutile and brookite) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using the dip-coating method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to evaluate the surface morphology and properties of the film surfaces. The water contact angle on the film surfaces during irradiation and storage in a dark place was measured by a contact angle analyser. The results indicate that copper grafted titanium dioxide brookite thin film showed higher hydrophilicity than copper grafted titania rutile thin film.