Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO-TiO<sub>2 </sub>Nanocomposite Synthesized with Various Molar Ratios by Hydrothermal Technique

Zinc oxide-titanium dioxide (ZnO-TiO 2 ) have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. ZnO-TiO 2 nanocomposite were prepared at different molar ratio 100:0, 100:0, 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of molar ratios on the structural and optical properties of ZnO-TiO 2 nanocomposite. The samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Based on the XRD results, it is revealed that ZnO-TiO 2 nanocomposite consists of hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO and mixed of anatase/ rutile phase of TiO 2 . FESEM images showed ZnO in rod-like structure while TiO 2 is formed in nanoparticle. ZnO-TiO 2 composite is formed combination of rod-like and nanoparticles. UV-Vis spectra showed that all samples exhibited good absorption towards UV region. The calculated energy band gaps of ZnO-TiO 2 composite are 2.92 eV which is slightly smaller compared to bulk ZnO and TiO 2 . The tuning energy band gaps of ZnO-TiO 2 composite samples is a good indicator for use in catalytic activities.