Highly efficient UV–visible absorption of TiO2/Y2O3 nanocomposite prepared by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation technique

Abstract

Nanostructured TiO2-based composites are promising materials because of their superior optical, structural, and electronic properties relative to pristine nanostructured TiO2. The enhanced properties of TiO2-based composites have been used in several important applications such as gas sensors, solar cells, and photocatalytic applications. In the past, numerous materials have been coupled with TiO2 to enhance their optical properties. In this work, full-spectrum (UV and Visible) responsive TiO2 /Y2O3 nanocomposite has been synthesized via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLA) to study the impact of Y2O3 on the structural, morphology, and optical property of the TiO2. The nanostructured composites prepared were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) attached with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Photoluminescence, XPS, and UV–Vis absorbance spectra. The result demonstrates that the coupling Y2O3 with TiO2 not only changes the structural, optical, and morphology of the TiO2 but also significantly amplified the light absorption characteristics of the TiO2 within the UV and visible region. The synthesized TiO2 /Y2O3 nanocomposite could potentially be useful for visible-light responsive applications.

Keywords

• Pulsed laser ablation in liquid
• Nanocomposites
• Titanium oxide
• Yttrium oxide
• Optical properties