TRANSPARENT PHOTOCATALYST COATING AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20190308184A1
• Filed: 06/24/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Fukumura, Takuya, Pan, Guang, Sambandan, Ekambaram, Mukherjee, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,710,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/10 of rare earths
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/14 of germanium, tin or lead
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/30 Tungsten
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/72 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/835 with germanium, tin or lead
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/39 Photocatalytic properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/34 Irradiation by, or application of, electric, magnetic or wave energy, e.g. ultrasonic waves ; Ionic sputtering; Flame or plasma spraying; Particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0688 Cermets, e.g. mixtures of metal and one or more of carbides, nitrides, oxides or borides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods for making photocatalyst compositions and elements exhibiting desired photocatalytic activity levels and transparency.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a coated article comprising:

forming a thin layer of a photocatalytic composition by sputtering at least one photocatalytic source and at least one non-photocatalytic source onto a target material in a sputtering gas atmosphere.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the photocatalytic source comprises at least one tin source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one tin source is selected from SnO₂ and Sn metal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the photocatalytic source comprises at least one tungsten source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one tungsten source is selected from WO₃ and W metal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises a metal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the metal is copper.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin layer comprises a substantially continuous first layer formed from the at least one photocatalytic source and a second layer formed from the at least one non-photocatalytic source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic source comprises at least one tin source, and the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises at least one metal source, and wherein the second layer is formed immediately on top of the first layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first layer has a thickness of about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the ratio of the volume of the first layer to the volume of the second layer is about 1 to about 100 or about 3 to about 20.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the ratio of the volume of the first layer to the volume of the second layer is about 5 to about 10.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-photocatalytic source comprises copper.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin layer comprises a co-sputtered layer formed from the at least one photocatalytic source and the at least one non-photocatalytic source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic source comprises at least one tin source, and the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises at least one metal source.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises a co-catalytic source.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one co-catalytic source comprises CeO₂

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the sputtering gas atmosphere comprises argon.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the sputtering gas atmosphere further comprises oxygen.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin layer comprises a first layer formed from the at least one photocatalytic source and a second layer formed from the at least one non-photocatalytic source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic source comprises at least one tungsten source, and the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises at least one co-catalyst source.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin layer comprises a co-sputtered layer formed from at least one photocatalytic source and the at least one non-photocatalytic source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic source comprises at least one tungsten source, and the at least one non-photocatalytic source comprises at least one co-catalyst source.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the molar ratio of photocatalyst to CeO₂ is about 1:

1.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the molar ratio of photocatalyst to CeO₂ is about 4:

1.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate at a temperature between room temperature and 500°

C.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate for a time between 10 seconds and 2 hours.