High Optical Performance TiO₂- and SiO₂-Based Composites with CuO and SrO Additions

Our research aims to determine the optical properties of binary composites based on TiO2 and SiO2 oxides combined with additional metal oxides such as CuO and SrO. The inclusion of CuO and SrO together with TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles is driven by their ability to introduce intermediate energy levels in the forbidden band, acting as electron traps that reduce the recombination rate and increase the efficiency of solar conversion. Morphological and structural characterization of the materials was carried out to evidence the homogeneity of the final composite materials as well as their high specific surface area. Additionally, an extensive characterization of the optical properties was performed, revealing that the optical parameters of the studied samples depend on their composition. The results indicate that the optical performance of TiO2-CuO and SiO2-SrO composites is significantly superior to that of the pure sample. Therefore, these materials are proposed as promising candidates for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells.