In this study, we evaluate the photovoltaic and photocatalytic properties of chemical vapor deposited bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) and bismuth oxyiodide–graphene (BiOI–GR) nanocomposite thin films. The BiOI thin film has an average thickness of 574 nm and a bandgap of around 2 eV. The BiOI and BiOI–GR thin films exhibited nanoflake morphology. It was found that addition of graphene increases absorbance by causing vertical growth of nanoflakes, imparting anti-reflectance and light trapping properties. The photocatalytic activities of the thin films were evaluated by examining methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light irradiation. BiOI–GR degraded 56.42% of MB in two hours while BiOI degraded 44.16%. Afterwards, FTO|BiOI|graphite|Al and FTO|BiOI–GR|graphite|Al solar cell devices were fabricated with photocurrent density values of 2.0 μA cm⁻² and 2.7 μA cm⁻², respectively. The improved properties of BiOI–GR are attributed to the anti-reflecting and light trapping properties of vertical BiOI–GR nanoflakes and the enhanced carrier separation due to graphene as an electron acceptor.

The synthesis and functionalization of quasi-spherical gold nanoparticles using active plant compounds for the detection of lead( ii ) ions via chelation.

The interest in TiO₂ nanotubes has resulted in a lot of studies including the effects of various parameters on the properties and performance for different applications. This study investigated the effect of anodization at a low temperature on the properties and photoelectrochemical performance. The effects of varied anodization settings on morphology, crystallinity, and PEC response were studied. Low-temperature anodization resulted in smaller pore diameter and shorter tube length. Annealing temperature affected the presence of varied phases of TiO₂ such as the prominence of anatase and amounts of rutile and amorphous TiO₂ at 125°C. To observe photoelectrochemical response, annealing at 450°C is necessary. However, a cathodic response was observed for TiO₂ nanotubes synthesized with low voltage at low temperature. Hence, amorphous titania nanotubes annealed at 125°C with thickness achieved in the anodization can be a potential material used for photocatalytic applications due to its determined cathodic photoelectrochemical response.