Green Synthesis of Anatase Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles from Joannesia Princeps Extract for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance

Energy demand is growing worldwide due to rapid population growth and technological advancements. An alternative is the conversion of solar radiation into electrical energy through photovoltaic devices. Considering such demand, this work presents the results of the synthesis and characterization of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPsTiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>) produced by green synthesis, aiming at their application in thin film solar cells. Green synthesis is an emerging and prosperous process that does not generate environmental contamination and is cost-effective. The green synthesis of TiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> nanoparticles from plant extracts generates a reliable material for various applications, especially for optoelectronic devices. The synthesis was carried out using the extract of Joannesia Princeps fruit. The obtained NPsTiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> were characterized through ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD pattern shows that the TiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> prepared by green synthesis was obtained in the anatase crystalline phase. The UV-vis spectrum of TiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> exhibited a semiconductor band of TiO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> at 280 nm. These results indicate that the obtained nanoparticles are a promising green alternative for low-cost photovoltaic device construction.