Investigation of sol-gel processed CuO/SiO₂ nanocomposite as a potential photoanode material

Synthesis and characterization of a highly efficient photoconductive nanocomposite comprising of two common metal oxides: copper oxide (CuO) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) are being reported in this paper. The CuO/SiO₂ nanocomposite has been synthesized using a cost-effective and facile sol gel route. The structural, chemical and optical properties of the prepared samples have been studied using various characterization techniques. The UV-Vis analysis revealed better absorption in the case of the nanocomposite as compared to its parent materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been employed to determine the structural formation of the nanocomposite and the crystallite size with the use of Scherrer’s formula. The photo conductivity study of the sample showed enhanced photocurrent in the case of nanocomposite as compared to its single components, thus, presenting it as a potential candidate for solar cell applications, especially as photoanode material in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC).