Measurement of Band Gap of Titanium (IV) Oxide

Introduction

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) exhibits useful photocatalytic activity, and is widely used in antimicrobial products, pigments, cosmetics, etc. The fundamental physical property referred to as band gap (forbidden band) is often determined in research of the physical properties of titanium dioxide. In Application News A428, the determination of band gap in compound semiconductors was discussed, along with the calculation used in that analysis. However, the complexity of that calculation can make it difficult and time-consuming to complete the determination. To resolve this difficulty, we have developed a software approach utilizing an Excel macro, named "Band Gap Calculation Excel Macro," which permits easy calculation of band gap. Here, using this same software, we introduce the calculation of band gap based on the diffuse reflectance spectra obtained from measurement of titanium dioxide using the UV-2600 ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer.

March 25, 2013 GMT