Abstract
Co-TiO2 nanoparticle thin films were synthesized by sol-gel method. The structural properties of the synthesized sample were studied using FTIR, XRD, and TEM. XRD confirmed the presence of double-phase anatase/rutile for the TiO2 nanoparticles. Effect of annealing temperature and exposure to microwave energy on the optical properties were studied for transparent conductive oxide (TCO) application. The optical energy gap and refractive index were determined. It was found that microwave treatment is an effective method for reinforcing optical properties of films. The photocatalytic properties were studied by determining the absorbance of methylene blue (MB) using UV source as a function of illumination time.