Novel sol–gel method for synthesis of Bi2/3Cu3Ti4O12 (BCTO) and its light harvesting applications

This manuscript reports the facile two-step sol–gel synthesis of Bi2/3Cu3Ti4O12 (BCTO) ceramics nanostructures with the aid of Bi(NO3)3·5H2O, Cu(NO3)3·5H2O, and titanium(IV) isopropoxide [Ti(OC3H7)4] as a starting reagents in the presence of citric acid as a solvent. Besides, this study aimed to investigate the effects of different surfactant such as SDS, CTAB, PVP, PVA, and oleic acid on the morphology and particle size of final products. Furthermore, the efficiency of BCTO nanostructures as the photocatalysts for the decolorization of rhodamine-B under ultraviolet light irradiation was evaluated. Moreover, FTO/TiO2/BCTO/Pt–FTO solar cell structure was used in order to find photovoltaic measurement by electrophoresis deposition. The solar cell results indicate that an inexpensive solar cell could be developed by synthesis of BCTO nanostructures through facile two-step sol–gel method.