Effect of Sol-Gel Processing and Annealing on Nanocrystalline TiO2 Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications
| Authors | L.D. Sonar1,2, S.J. Shivhare3, V.S. Bagal3, P.R. Nikam1 |
| Affiliations |
1Department of Physics, Moolji Jaitha College, Jalgaon – 425001, Maharashtra, India 2Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, SVKM’s College of Engineering, Shirpur – 425405, Maharastra, India 3Department of Applied Science and Humanities, SVKM’s NMIMS, Shirpur – 425405, Maharashtra, India |
| Е-mail | prnikam.mjc@kces.in |
| Issue | Volume 18, Year 2026, Number 2 |
| Dates | Received 10 February 2026; revised manuscript received 19 April 2026; published online 29 April 2026 |
| Citation | L.D. Sonar, S.J. Shivhare, V.S. Bagal, et al., J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 18 No 2, 02033 (2026) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.18(2).02010 |
| PACS Number(s) | 81.20.Fw, 81.15.Rs |
| Keywords | TiO2 (19) , Band Gap (29) , DSSC (8) , Sol-Gel method (4) , Spin coating method, XRD (99) , UV-visible, Annealing (16) . |
| Annotation |
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were synthesized using a sol-gel spin-coating approach and evaluated for their potential use as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. A stable precursor sol was prepared by dispersing commercial P-25 TiO2 powder in ethanol, with acetyl acetone employed as a stabilizer and p-hydroxybenzoic acid acting as a chelating agent to improve dispersion and film uniformity. Following deposition, the films were thermally treated at 400 °C to promote crystallization and enhance porous structure formation. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the development of monocrystalline TiO2 with a predominant anatase phase and tetragonal crystal symmetry, with an average crystallite size of approximately 26 nm. Optical characterization carried out using UV-Visible spectroscopy revealed strong ultraviolet light absorption and high transparency in the visible region. The absorption edge observed in the range of 390-430 nm corresponds to an optical band gap of about 3.1 eV. The obtained structural and optical properties indicate improved light-harvesting capability and favorable surface characteristics. These findings demonstrate that the optimized sol-gel synthesis and annealing conditions produce TiO2 thin films suitable for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. |
|
List of References |
Other articles from this number
1) Growth Kinetics of Ag Clots on AgBr Microcrystals Under the Action of Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Radiation [02001-1-02001-7]2) Radiation Defects in Green GaP Light-Emitting Diodes [02002-1-02002-5]
3) The Influence of the Structure and Properties of the Transition Zone Between the Matrix and Filler on the Destruction of Composite Coatings During Friction [02003-1-02003-7]
4) Simulation of Wave Propagation in a Kerr-Type Nonlinear Metamaterial Cylindrical Wave-Guide by Auxiliary Differential Equation Finite Difference Time Domain Method [02004-1-02004-11]
5) A Medical Image-Based Computational Framework for Electromagnetic Field Mapping and SAR Estimation in Biological Tissues [02005-1-02005-5]
6) Self–Heating Effect in GaN Diode with Graded InGaN Mesa [02006-1-02006-6]
7) Design and Analysis of an Ultra-Compact Triple-Slotted Hexagonal-Shaped Patch Antenna for IoT Applications in the THz Band [02007-1-02007-7]
8) Enhancing Four-Point Probe Measurements for Heterogeneous Materials [02008-1-02008-5]
9) Thermodynamic Modeling of Phase Composition of Si/Si Oxide Structures Obtained by Phase Separation of Nonstoichiometric Si Oxides [02009-1-02009-6]
10) Design and Performance Evaluation of a Compact Four-Port mmWave MIMO Patch Antenna Integrates MQTT Protocol at 6.6 GHz in 5G Applications [02010-1-02010-5]
11) Nanotechnology in Cancer Early Detection and Accurate Diagnosis: Advances in Nanotechnology, Technologies, and Clinical Applications [02011-1-02011-7]
12) Leveraging Gate and Channel Engineering in Graphene Tunnel FET (GTFET) at Nano-Scale for Better Device Performance [02012-1-02012-5]
13) Chipless Orientation Independent RFID Tags Using Square Slot Ring Structures [02013-1-02013-6]
14) Wideband Gear-Shaped Slot Quad-Port MIMO Antenna on ITO Substrate with Parasitic-Assisted Isolation Enhancement for Sub-6 GHz 5G/WLAN Applications [02014-1-02014-5]
15) Evaluating Next-Generation Nanobiosensors for Detecting Dangerous Biological Markers in Diseases [02015-1-02015-5]
16) A Low-Profile Crescent Shaped Circular Patch Antenna for Sub-6 GHz Applications [02016-1-02016-4]
17) Structural and Physical Property Enhancement in Al 7075–Boron Carbide–Zirconium Dioxide Hybrid Nano Composites [02017-1-02017-7]
18) Material-Engineered DGTFET: An Enhanced Sensitivity Method for Label-Free Biosensing [02018-1-02018-5]
19) A Thermally Controlled Tri-Band Metamaterial Perfect Absorber based on Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) for Terahertz Communication Application [02019-1-02019-5]
20) Analysis of A Low-Profile Hexagonal Patch Antenna for Next Generation Wireless Communications [02020-1-02020-4]
21) A Multi Band Dual Slot CPW Fed Circular Ring Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G mmWave Applications [02021-1-02021-5]
22) Performance Analysis of a n-i-p and p-i-n Structured Lead-Free Cs2TiI6 -Based Perovskite Solar Cell [02022-1-02022-4]
23) Material Dependent Variations in Nanoparticle Mediated Sensitization of Proton Irradiation [02023-1-02023-6]
24) Thickness-Dependent Optical Response of Gold and Chromium Nanofilms: Insights into Plasmonic Sensing Efficiency [02024-1-02024-5]
25) Electrical Conductivity of Thin Films of CoNi and FeNi Alloys [02025-1-02025-7]
26) Field-Effect Transistor Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide Film with ZnO and Porous Silicon Absorbing Layers for Ionizing Radiation Detection [02026-1-02026-5]
27) A Compact Wideband Microstrip Patch Antenna Using a Partial Ground Plane for 28 GHz mmWave Applications [02027-1-02027-6]
28) TCAD Driven Light-Trapping Enhancement in Silicon Photovoltaics through Engineered Nanohole Geometries [02028-1-02028-5]
29) Application of Iron Nanoparticles for the Remediation of Chromium [02029-1-02029-8]
30) Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanorods Synthesized via Tulshi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Extract: A Green Approach [02030-1-02030-5]
31) Exploration of the Electrical Behavior of GaAs/Ge Single Junction Solar Cell [02032-1-02032-7]
32) Magnetic Resistance in Magnetically Ordered "Symmetrical" Fα>1/S/Fα>1 and "Asymmetrical" Fα1>1/S/Fα2>1 Sandwiches with Ultra-Thin Layers [02034-1-02034-6]
33) Optimizing Reflectivity in Bi-isotropic Multilayer Mirrors: The Role of Chiral and Tellegen Parameter Ratios [02035-1-02035-6]
34) Simulation on the Impact of Pore Dimensions on the Mechanical Properties of Metal Matrix Composites Reinforced with SiС Particles [02036-1-02036-5]
35) Finite Element Analysis of Optimized Fe2O3 Nanomaterials Under Applied Mechanical Pressure [02037-1-02037-4]
36) Properties of Sn-doped ZnO Thin Films Elaborated by Solar Spray Pyrolysis for Photovoltaic Applications [02038-1-02038-5]
