Graphene-modified TiO2–CuO thin films multifunctional energy and environmental applicationsShow others and affiliations
2025 (English)In: Optical materials (Amsterdam), ISSN 0925-3467, E-ISSN 1873-1252, Vol. 162, article id 116854Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
In this study, unmodified and graphene (G)-modified TiO2–CuO mixed oxide thin films were synthesized via spray pyrolysis, incorporating varying graphene content (y = 2, 4, 6, and 8 at. %). The modified samples were subjected to photocatalytic (Rhodamine B (RhB), Malachite green (MG), Methylene Blue, and Methyl Orange) and photovoltaic performance evaluations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of well-crystalline thin films, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (XPS) provided insights into the electronic states of Cu, Ti, C, and O elements. After graphene modification, the Cu 2p and Ti 2p spectra exhibited a negative and positive shift, respectively, indicating Cu reduction and Ti oxidation. Optical absorption analysis revealed an increase in band gap energy with higher graphene concentrations, reaching 1.78 eV at 6 at. % graphene content. The as-prepared samples were tested for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in polluted water, including Rhodamine B (RhB), Malachite Green (MG), Methylene Blue (MB), and Methyl Orange (MO). The film dropped at 8 at. % graphene demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic efficiency, achieving degradation rates of 90 %, 85 %, 96 %, and 87 % for RhB, MG, MB, and MO, respectively, within 2 h of solar illumination. Furthermore, the application of G-TiO2-CuO as a secondary absorber layer in CZTS solar cells was optimized using Silvaco TCAD software, resulting in an efficiency enhancement from 10.25 % to 15.31 %. These findings highlight the crucial role of graphene modification in enhancing the physical properties of semiconductor materials, making them promising candidates for advanced optoelectronic applications.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2025. Vol. 162, article id 116854
Keywords [en]
Mixed oxide, Graphene-modified, Rhodamine B (RhB), Malachite green, Methylene blue and methyl orange, Photovoltaic
National Category
Materials Chemistry Other Chemistry Topics
Research subject
Experimental Physics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-112038DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2025.116854Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85218861465OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-112038DiVA, id: diva2:1945025
Funder
The Kempe Foundations, KAW 2016.346
Note
Validerad;2025;Nivå 2;2025-03-17 (u4);
For funding information see link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925346725002137?via%3Dihub#ack1029;
Fulltexte license: CC BY
2025-03-172025-03-172025-03-21Bibliographically approved