The Facile Construction of Anatase Titanium Dioxide Single Crystal Sheet-Connected Film with Observable Strong White Photoluminescence

Abstract

Deposited by a reactive atmospheric pressure non-thermal TiCl4/O2/Ar plasma, anatase TiO2 single crystal sheet-connected film exhibits two large exposed {001} facets and a high concentration of oxygen defects. Strong white photoluminescence centered at 542 nm has been observed with naked eyes, whose internal quantum efficiency is 0.62, and whose intensity is comparable to that of commercial fluorescent lamp interior coatings. Based on the simulation results of a hybrid global–analytical model developed on this atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma system, the mechanism of a self-confined growth of single crystal sheets was proposed. A high concentration of oxygen defects is in situ incorporated into the anatase crystal lattice without damaging its crystallographic orientation. This method opens a new way to construct 3D porous metal-oxide single crystal sheet-connected films with two exposing high energy surfaces and a large concentration of oxygen defects.