Formation of Natural Melanin/TiO₂ Nanostructure Hybrids with Enhanced Optical, Thermal and Magnetic Properties as a Soft Material

The natural Melanin/TiO₂ was synthesized by the use of ultrasonication under UV radiation. The influence of natural melanin on the structural, optical and thermal properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles was investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy. It was observed that incorporating natural melanin on TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂-Mel) occurred at 2.01 eV with a low value of Urbach energy around 100 meV indicating improvement in the crystalline structure. Magnetic measurement at room temperature showed diamagnetic behavior. Furthermore, thermal results showed that TiO₂-Mel is stable even at temperatures up to 400 °C. According to the results obtained by the thermal stability of melanin with titanium dioxide, it can be a good candidate in many applications such as solar cells and optoelectronics.