Synthesis and characterization of CuO/WO₃ nanocomposite using hybrid method: Simple precipitation and pulsed laser ablation in liquids technique

Nanomaterials have attracted much attention as class of materials for scientific research and technological applications due to their novel properties compared to bulk materials. The structural and efficacy of nano-materials depend strongly on the method applied for their synthesis. In this work, Copper (II) oxide and tungsten trioxide nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using hybrid method (Simple precipitation method followed by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids Technique). Nanocrystalline copper (II) oxide and tungsten trioxide powders were synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method wherein copper (II) nitrate and sodium tungstate precursors were used. Then, the synthesized CuO and WO₃ were used to synthesize CuO/WO₃ nanocomposite by pulsed laser ablation in deionized water. In the technique, a Q-switched, 532 nm Nd:YAG laser with output energy of 30 mJ, was used as a light source. The band gap energy of pure WO₃ nanoparticles was estimated to be 2.7 eV. It is proven that the addition of CuO to pure WO₃ improves the absorption in the visible range and reduces the bandgap energy as the amount of CuO increases. SEM images revealed a natural tendency of the particles to form agglomerates with irregular morphology. Moreover, the morphology and the structure were investigated and confirmed using TEM analysis.