Structural and optical characterization of CdS/TiO2 nanocomposite

Nanocomposites are advantageous because they can compensate for the disadvantages of the individual component, and induce a synergistic effect, such as an efficient charge separation and improvement of photostability. Present study reveals the advantage of nanocomposite CdS/TiO2 over TiO2 which have been prepared by a simple Co-precipitation method. The particle size of CdS/TiO2 estimated from X-ray diffraction pattern comes out to be ~ 5.8 nm which is in good agreement with that of transmission electron microscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a reduction in defect levels in the as prepared CdS/TiO2 nanocomposite in comparison to TiO2. In our method titanium monoxide (TiO) phase has appeared at room temperature against the earlier reports. Williamson–Hall plot analysis revealed the presence of tensile strain in both the CdS/TiO2 and TiO2 samples. New Raman bands for rutile TiO2 have also been observed which have not been previously reported. UV–visible study reveals an enhanced absorption capability of the composite sample (~ 383.85 nm) in comparison to pure TiO2 (~ 331.37 and 324.40 nm).The optical and electrical results have shown the activation of the excited TiO2 in the presence of CdS.