TiO2/ORMOSIL Thin Films Doped with Phthalocyanine Dyes:  New Photocatalytic Devices Activated by Solar Light

Hybrid sol−gel TiO2/organosilica films doped with Cu(II), Fe(II), and Fe(III) phthalocyanines are excellent photocatalysts for the oxidative degradation of organics under visible light irradiation. The films show pronounced stability with the Fe(III)Pc-doped film showing the best performance in the gas-phase mineralization of 2-propanol. The versatile chemistry of both sol−gel materials and phthalocyanines will enable large improvement in terms of performance and technical adaptability of these new photocatalytic devices for future practical application.