LAUSR

Abstract Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and ATO/TiO 2 mixtures (30:70, 50:50, 70:30 vol%) powders were deposited using a nanoparticle deposition system (NPDS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images confirmed that the phases and morphologies of the deposited ATO and TiO 2 were similar to those of their pristine structures. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements showed the highest photocurrent of 1.5 mA for the 50:50 vol% ATO/TiO 2 film, which compared with 1.2 mA for the other (30:70 and 70:30 vol% ATO/TiO 2 ) hybrid samples, and 0.35 and 0.04 mA for pure TiO 2 and ATO, respectively. Methylene blue (MB) dye was degraded in the presence of the 50:50 vol% ATO/TiO 2 film, which had the best photocatalytic activity after 7 h of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The kinetic rate constant of this film was 0.15 h −1 , which was double that of the TiO 2 film (0.06 h −1 ). The photoluminescence intensity of the 50:50 vol% ATO/TiO 2 film was low over a wide range of wavelengths, which indicated that its recombination rate was less than that of the ATO and TiO 2 films. Finally, the recycle results demonstrated that the 50:50 vol% ATO/TiO 2 film was stable to photodegradation for up to six cycles. These heterojunction films containing ATO and TiO 2 thus had better photocatalytic properties than the pure TiO 2 and ATO films due to the reduction in recombination. Our facile method of preparing heterojunction films by a dry deposition method provided films with good photocatalytic properties.