Synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic application of NiTiO3 nanostructures via two-step sol-gel method

چکیده مقاله

Abstract In this work, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (trimesic acid) was used as chelate agent for synthesis of NiTiO3 nanoparticles through a two-step sol–gel method. In this study, nickel acetate tetrahydrate [Ni(CH3COO)2 4H2O] and tetra-n-butyl titanate (TNBT) were used as starting reagents to fabricate NiTiO3 nanoparticles at different conditions. On the other hand, the effects of different surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and ethylene glycol, as well as reaction temperature, and the molar ratios of TNBT to 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (trimesic acid) on the morphology and particle size of the products were investigated. It was found out that the size and morphology of the products were extremely influenced by the aforementioned parameters. XRD results indicate the effect of 1,3,5benzenetricarboxylic acid on purity of NiTiO3 nanoparticles. A CdS/NiTiO3 heterojunction is also produced onto an ITO glass substrate to evaluate the photovoltaic property of the NiTiO3.