Plasmonic metamaterial-based chemical converted graphene/TiO2/Ag thin films by a simple spray pyrolysis technique

Graphene based hybrid nanostructures have received special attention in both the scientific and technological development due to their unique physicochemical behavior, which make them attractive in various applications such as, batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar cells, photovoltaic devices and bio-sensors. In the present study, the role of plasmonic metamaterials in light trapping photovoltaics for inorganic semiconducting materials by a simple and low cost spray pyrolysis technique has been studied. The plasmonic metamaterials thin film has been fabricated by depositing chemically converted graphene (CCG) onto TiO₂-Ag nanoparticles which has a low resistivity and a low electron–hole recombination probability. The localized surface plasmon resonance at the metal-dielectric interface for the Ag nanoparticles has been observed at 403 nm after depositing chemical converted graphene (CCG) on the TiO₂-Ag thin film. The results suggest that the stacking order of the CCG/TiO₂/Ag plasmonic metamaterials samples did not change the band gap of TiO₂ while it changed the conductivity of the film. Thus the diffusion of the noble metals in the glass and TiO₂ matrices based thin films can trap the light of a particular wavelength by mean of plasmonic resonance and may be useful for superior photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.