Synthesis and characterization of a highly efficient photoconductive nanocomposite comprising of two common metal oxides: copper oxide (CuO) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) are being reported in this paper. The CuO/SiO 2 nanocomposite has been synthesized using a cost-effective and facile sol gel route. The structural, chemical and optical properties of the prepared samples have been studied using various characterization techniques. The UV-Vis analysis revealed better absorption in the case of the nanocomposite as compared to its parent materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been employed to determine the structural formation of the nanocomposite and the crystallite size with the use of Scherrer's formula. The photo conductivity study of the sample showed enhanced photocurrent in the case of nanocomposite as compared to its single components, thus, presenting it as a potential candidate for solar cell applications, especially as photoanode material in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC).

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Nanocomposites based on polymer-clay mixtures are a growing area of interest due to their potential in flexible applications. In this study, new nanocomposite materials were produced from the components of recycled thermoplastic as the matrix and montmorillonite as the filler by using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. During this study, recycled Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate), rPET, was mixed with organically modified quaternary alkyl ammonium montmorillonite in the contents of 1, 2, and 5 weight %. Three types of clays were evaluated during the studies. For comparison, 2 weight % clay containing samples were prepared with three different clay types, Cloisite 15A, 25A, 30B.Even though, 2wt% Cloisite25A shows better mechanical properties, 2 wt% Cloisite30B is better in respect of electrical properties.