Synthesis, structure and optical properties of x(CuO)/(1−x)Ni(OH)2 [x=0, 0.1 and 0.3] nanocomposites

The x(CuO)/(1−x)Ni(OH)2 [x=0, 0.1 and 0.3] nanocomposites were prepared by the hydrothermal method in the presence of the surfactant polyethylenglycol-10000 (PEG-10000). X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the as-prepared samples. The increase of the CuO content led to the increase of the crystallite size of both, the β-Ni(OH)2 and the CuO. The increase in the crystallite size greatly affects the band gap energy of the as-prepared nanocomposites. The band gap energies of the x(CuO)/(1−x)Ni(OH)2 nanocomposites were estimated by UV–vis spectroscopic method. UV–vis spectroscopic results showed an apparent decrease in the direct band gap energies. The x(CuO)/(1−x)Ni(OH)2 [x=0, 0.1 and 0.3] nanocomposites show low band gap energies compared to the Ni(OH)2 bulk materials. The enhanced optical properties lead to their possible use in photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications.