Optical characterization of nanostructured ZnO and TiO2 films

Abstract The comparative studies of optical properties in the ultraviolet and visible regions for ZnO and TiO2 nanostructured films prepared by different methods are carried out in air and in the aqueous medium. Results show how the electrolyte surrounding the nanoparticles influence both the total transmittance and reflectance as well as light scattering. The measurements demonstrate also some difficulties and errors when interpreting the results for thin porous coatings. Great care has to be taken to avoid the losses caused by light coupling and scattering into the substrate.