Figure 5
Functionality of the β-Bi2O3 thin films.
(a) Spectral dependence of the absorption coefficient, α, as a function of the photon energy. Optical properties (n(λ), k(λ) and α) were calculated from the data recorded by spectroscopic ellipsometry (inset of a). (b) photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) by a β-Bi2O3 thin film on Pt-coated Si substrate. The film thickness was ~50 nm and the area of ~2 cm2. (c) Photocatalytic degradation kinetics of methylene blue (MB) over the former film. (d) Photograph of a ~45 nm thick β-Bi2O3 on flexible polyimide. The inset shows the X-ray pattern of this film measured with a conventional Bragg-Brentano geometry in a Brucker powder diffractometer with a Cu anode (λ = 1.5406 Å). (e) SEM surface image of the β-Bi2O3 on the flexible polyimide substrate.
