Enhancement of light harvesting capabilities of Titania/Zinc Oxide nanocomposite photoanode through Aluminium plasmon impregnation

Abstract The present work reports the synthesis of Titania/Zinc Oxide (TiO 2 /ZnO) nanocomposite and improvisation of its optical properties through Aluminium (Al) plasmon impregnation into ZnO using sol-gel technique. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis showed that Al impregnation has not altered the crystallographic and morphological features of TiO 2 /ZnO. UV–Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) revealed the enhanced light harvesting capabilities of Titania/Al impregnated Zinc Oxide (TiO 2 /Al-ZnO) as a result of about 95% of diffused reflectance, the highest reported to-date. Field dependent dark and photocurrent measurements showed that impacted by the plasmonic-effect, the photo and dark current values of TiO 2 /Al-ZnO are higher than those of TiO 2 /ZnO by ∼2 and ∼1.5 folds respectively. Owing to the improved photo and electrical conductive properties of the nanocomposite due to Al impregnation, the as-prepared TiO 2 /Al-ZnO nanocomposite qualifies as a novel and suitable candidate for application as a proficient photoanode in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs).