Study about TiO2/Nb2O5 Composite Electrode Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications
Date
2025Author
Nguu, John Njagi
Aduda, Bernard Odhiambo
Nyongesa, Francis Wanjala
Musembi, Robinson Juma
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Nanopowders can be defined as powdered materials with individual particles in
nanometer scale or materials with crystalline in nanometer scale. Nanoparticles
(NPs) are made up of a large amount of atoms or molecules bonded with each
other with a total size varying from 1 nm to around 100 nm. Due to their very
small sizes, NPs possess an extraordinarily high surface area-to-volume ratio,
which changes their physical-chemical properties compared to their macroscale
counterparts. Nano sized powders of TiO2 (titanium dioxide) and Nb2O5 (Niobium
(V) oxide) were used to fabricate TiO2/Nb2O5 composites thin films by EPD
(electrophoretic deposition) technique. In an EPD cell, pellets of magnesium
nitrate hexahydrate and metal oxide powders were suspended in propan-2-ol. 1.2
cm apart, the electrodes were submerged in the suspension with a DC potential
supplied across them. Through visual examination and analysis of UV-Vis-NIR
spectrophotometer spectra, key EPD process parameters, including as the
applied DC electric field, deposition duration, and solid concentration in
suspension, were improved. The films with deposition times of 90 s, powder
concentrations of 0.01 g/40 mL, and direct current (DC) voltage of 35 V had the
maximum transmittance (55%) of all the samples. XRD micrographs confirmed
that TiO2 and Nb2O5 particles were presented in the composite film. SEM
(scanning electron microscope) micrographs of the composite electrode thin films
showed that porous films of high quality with well controlled morphology were
deposited by using the EPD technique
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- Journal Articles (PAS) [286]
