Conducting Glass Substrates Research Articles

Development of a photoelectrocatalytic method to improve the efficiency of E. coli removal

The photoelectrocatalytic technology has attracted significant attention for effectively eliminating organic matter and microbiological pollutants in the environment, owing to its remarkable efficiency and low power consumption. The major goal of this research is to develop and determine the optimal conditions that will facilitate the photoelectrocatalytic technique's enhancement of E. coli eradication. The WO3/BiVO4 photoanode was fabricated on a conductive glass substrate using the automatic dip coating process, employing a layer-by-layer deposition method. Subsequently, the WO3/BiVO4 photoanode was calcinated at 550 °C for 60 minutes. The produced WO3/BiVO4 electrodes were employed as working electrodes to investigate and determine the optimal parameters for enhancing the eradication of E. coli process. The primary factors investigated in this study were the concentration of KCl electrolyte solution and the applied potential. These parameters were examined to identify the best circumstances that would result in the highest efficiency for the degradation of E. coli in a photoelectrochemical system. The study also aimed to comprehend the catalytic mechanism implicated in eliminating E. coli by implementing three different processes: photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrocatalysis. We discovered that the key factors directly influencing E. coli eradication effectiveness under the photoelectrocatalytic process were applied potential and electrolyte solution concentration. The optimum conditions eliminated 99.99% of E. coli in 150 minutes with an initial concentration of 106 CFU/ml, an electrolyte concentration of 0.01 M KCl, and an applied potential of 2.0 V. The study confirmed photoelectrocatalytic cells' efficacy in removing microorganisms and recommended their application in a wider range of wastewater treatment systems.

Fe2O3-graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites analyzed by XPS

Nanocomposite systems based on iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) and graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) possess a great potential as photo(electro)catalysts for environmental remediation and energy generation. In this field, a key issue is the fabrication of supported materials directly grown onto suitable substrates and possessing tailored features. In the present study, Fe2O3–gCN nanomaterials are prepared by an innovative two-step strategy, consisting of initial plasma assisted-chemical vapor deposition of iron(III) oxide on conducting glass substrates and subsequent functionalization with low amounts of gCN by a facile electrophoretic deposition process. Attention is dedicated to the use of two different forms of carbon nitride, obtained from melamine or melamine + cyanuric acid, in order to finely tune the resulting material composition. In this work, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the pristine Fe2O3 deposit as well as two Fe2O3–gCN composite materials prepared starting from different gCN powders. A detailed analysis of the obtained spectroscopic data reveals the occurrence of a direct electronic interplay between single constituents, dependent on material characteristics. The related results may act as useful guidelines for the design of photo(electro)catalysts endowed with specific properties, of importance for sustainable applications.

Chitosan stabilized copper iodide nanoparticles enabled nano-bio-engineered platform for efficient electrochemical biosensing of dopamine

Neurodegenerative disorders are one of the significant challenges to the aging society, as per the United Nations, where 1 in 6 people globally over 65 years of age are expected to suffer by 2050. The exact pathophysiological root of these disorders is although not known adequately, but reduced dopamine (most significant neurotransmitters) levels have been reported in people affected by Parkinson's disease. Sensitive detection and effective monitoring of dopamine can help to diagnose these neurodegenerative disorders at a very early stage, which will help to properly treat these disorders and slow down their progression. Therefore, it is crucial to detect physiological and clinically acceptable amounts of dopamine with high sensitivity and selectivity in basic pathophysiology research, medication, and illness diagnosis. Here in this present investigation, nano-bio-engineered stable chitosan stabilized copper iodide nanoparticles (CS@CuI NPs) were synthesized to engineer the active biosensing platform for developing dopamine biosensors. Initially, the as-synthesized nano-bio-engineered CS@CuI NPs were subjected to its drop-casting onto an Indium tin oxide (ITO) conducting glass substrate. This substrate platform was then utilized to immobilize tyrosinase (Tyr) enzyme by drop-casting to fabricate Tyr/CS@CuI NPs/ITO bioelectrode for the ultrasensitive determination of dopamine. Several techniques were used to characterize the structural, optical, and morphological properties of the synthesized CS@CuI NPs and Tyr/CS@CuI NPs/ITO bioelectrode. Further, the as-prepared bioelectrode was evaluated for its suitability and electrocatalytic behaviour towards dopamine by cyclic voltammetry. A perusal of the electroanalytic results of the fabricated biosensor revealed that under the optimized experimental conditions, Tyr/CS@CuI NPs/ITO bioelectrode exhibits a very high electrochemical sensitivity of 11.64 μA μM−1 cm−2 towards dopamine with the low limit of detection and quantification of 0.02 and 0.386 μM, respectively. In addition, the fabricated bioelectrode was stable up to 46 days with only 4.82 % current loss, reusable till 20 scans, and it also performed effectively while real sample analysis. Therefore, the nano-bio-engineered biosensor platform being reported can determine deficient dopamine levels in a very selective and sensitive manner, which can help adequately manage neurodegenerative disorders, further slowing down the disease progression.

Room-temperature electrochemical deposition of nanostructured ZnO films on FTO substrate and their photoelectrochemical activity

The possibility of fabrication of nanostructured ZnO layers on conductive glass substrates via simple room-temperature electrodeposition was studied in detail. The process was carried out in zinc nitrate electrolyte at different potentials for various durations. The morphology, composition, and semiconducting properties of the deposits were examined by various techniques. As-synthesized materials were found to be amorphous and co-deposition of the metallic Zn at more negative potentials was confirmed. Nevertheless, thermal treatment in air results in the successful conversion of the as-deposited precipitate to the wurtzite ZnO. The potential of −1.5 V vs. SCE was identified as optimal to achieve both full coverage of the glass substrate, as well as uniform morphology of the deposits. In general, the photoelectrochemical performance of such kind of ZnO photoanodes was found to be significantly dependent on the electrodeposition duration since this parameter strongly affected the thickness, surface morphology, as well as semiconducting properties of the obtained material. In consequence, the photoanode deposited at −1.5 V vs. SCE for 40 min exhibited the most promising photoelectrochemical activity under studied conditions.

Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity of CuWO4 Photoanode by Yttrium Doping

Yttrium-doped copper tungstate photoelectrodes are prepared by depositing an yttrium-doped CuWO4 film (Y-CuWO4) on conductive glass substrates by dip coating. The morphology and chemical composition confirm the fabrication of yttrium-doped CuWO4 films. The optical bandgap of the photoelectrodes is studied by UV–vis diffuse reflectance and a bandgap of 2.30 eV is obtained for the pure CuWO4 photoelectrode. The yttrium-doped photoelectrodes show a small shift of the bandgap to higher values, which according to DFT calculations can be ascribed to a higher density of electronic states in the first conduction band from incorporating yttrium into the structure. The photoelectrochemical characterisation shows that adding yttrium produces an enhanced charge separation efficiency in the bulk which can be attributed to a higher donor density in the structure, and a 92.5% higher photocurrent density is obtained for the 5%Y-CuWO4 photoelectrode when compared to the pure CuWO4 photoelectrode for the oxygen evolution reaction at 1.3 V vs RHE. This work shows that doping CuWO4 with yttrium is an effective approach to improve the poor charge separation presented by pure CuWO4 photoelectrodes.

Insights on advanced substrates for controllable fabrication of photoanodes toward efficient and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting

AbstractConversion of solar energy into H2 by photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is recognized as an ideal way to address the growing energy crisis and environmental issues. In a typical PEC cell, the construction of photoanodes is crucial to guarantee the high efficiency and stability of PEC reactions, which fundamentally rely on rationally designed semiconductors (as the active materials) and substrates (as the current collectors). In this review work, we start with a brief introduction of the roles of substrates in the PEC process. Then, we provide a systematic overview of representative strategies for the controlled fabrication of photoanodes on rationally designed substrates, including conductive glass, metal, sapphire, silicon, silicon carbide, and flexible substrates. Finally, some prospects concerning the challenges and research directions in this area are proposed.

Decoration of rutile TiO2 nanorod film with g-C3N4/SrTiO3 for efficient photoelectrochemical cathodic protection

A highly efficient g-C3N4/SrTiO3 co-decorated rutile TiO2 nanorod composite film photoanode was fabricated on a conductive glass substrate by a three-step synthesis process involving hydrothermal reactions and chemical vapor deposition. The g-C3N4/SrTiO3/TiO2 composite film with an appropriate cascade energy band structure showed greatly improved visible light absorption and exhibited 4.5 times higher photocurrent density than the undecorated TiO2 film, resulting from its higher separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Under the white light irradiation, the composite film photoanode made the potential of the coupled 403 stainless steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution decrease by 680 mV from its free corrosion potential, showing a significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical cathodic protection effect.

Impact of bismuth as dopant on ZnSe material syntheses for photovoltaic application

ABSTRACT In this study, bismuth-doped zinc selenide ZnSe/Bi single crystals were deposited on conducting glass substrates to study the effects of single crystals’ molar concentration on a variety of properties. These properties were characterised using SEM, EDX, XRD, and UV–vis. The various characterisations were carried out to determine the material’s morphological, elemental, structural, optical, and electrical characteristics. The ZnSe material’s diffraction peaks were found at (1 1 1), (2 0 1), and (2 1 1), while the ZnSe/Bi material’s peaks were found at (2 2 0), (2 2 1), and (3 0 0), which correspond to the angles (26.12°), (31.00°), (37.02°) (51.73°), (62.67°), and (65.83°), respectively. The material showed a smaller nano-grain size that covered the entire substrate, indicating uniform deposition. A band gap energy of 1.55 to 1.72 eV was obtained.

Functionalization of graphitic carbon nitride systems by cobalt and cobalt-iron oxides boosts solar water oxidation performances

The ever-increasing energy demand from the world population has made the intensive use of fossil fuels an overarching threat to global environment and human health. An appealing alternative is offered by sunlight-assisted photoelectrochemical water splitting to yield carbon-free hydrogen fuel, but kinetic limitations associated to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) render the development of cost-effective, eco-friendly and stable electrocatalysts an imperative issue. In the present work, OER catalysts based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were deposited on conducting glass substrates by a simple decantation procedure, followed by functionalization with low amounts of nanostructured CoO and CoFe2O4 by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering, and final annealing under inert atmosphere. A combination of advanced characterization tools was used to investigate the interplay between material features and electrochemical performances. The obtained results highlighted the formation of a p-n junction for the g-C3N4-CoO system, whereas a Z-scheme junction accounted for the remarkable performance enhancement yielded by g-C3N4-CoFe2O4. The intimate contact between the system components also afforded an improved electrocatalyst stability in comparison to various bare and functionalized g-C3N4-based systems. These findings emphasize the importance of tailoring g-C3N4 chemico-physical properties through the dispersion of complementary catalysts to fully exploit its applicative potential.

Synthesis of aluminum telluride thin films via using electrodeposition method for solar absorber applications

In this work, aluminum telluride thin films were synthesized via using a systematically electrodeposited method at different applied anodic potentials (2–12 V) on conductive FTO glass substrates. As the aluminium sheet was used as a source of Al3+ cation and the Na2TeO3 solution produced Te2- anion. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and ultraviolet–visible (UV) spectroscopy were employed to investigate the unique properties of the Al2Te3 thin films. The results reveal that the electrodeposited Al2Te3 films can be a good promising candidate for a solar absorber material or other optoelectronic applications through the analysis of structural, morphological, and optical properties with the significant evidence of the optimum applied anodic potential condition in the range of 8–12 V.

Clustered tubular S-scheme ZnO/CdS heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Herein, a cluster-like ZnO/CdS nanotube heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared on an FTO conductive glass substrate by a two-step hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic performance and electron transfer mechanism of ZnO and ZnO/CdS composite structures were analyzed through comparing the hydrogen production efficiency of ZnO and ZnO/CdS. The photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of ZnO/CdS (molar ratio 1:1) achieved 7669 μmol/g/h with the AQE of 55.25 %. Unique clustered tubular structure, wider light absorption range and higher carrier transfer rate endowed the composite with marvellous photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. In addition, the measurement of hydroxyl radicals and ESR verified that the electron transfer mechanism followed the S-scheme, which improved the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. The residual ratio of catalysts on the FTO substrate remained above 99 % after two cycles, which was remarkably higher than that of the powder catalyst (63 %). This work provides terrific potential for high-efficient, low-cost and recyclable photocatalysts of hydrogen production in the future.

From doping to composites: zirconia (ZrO2) modified hematite photoanodes for water splitting.

Herein, a ZrO2 added α-Fe2O3 photoanode that can split water at low applied potential is reported. First, the pristine hematite α-Fe2O3 photoanode was synthesized using an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) method followed by modification with various amounts of ZrO2 (2 to 40%) in the form of thin films on conducting glass substrate. The XRD, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed the presence of the monoclinic phase of ZrO2 in the composites with multifaceted particles of compact morphology. The optical analysis showed an increase in the absorbance and variation in band gap of the composites ascribed to the heterogeneity of the material. The photoelectrochemical studies gave a photocurrent density of 1.23 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE for the pristine hematite and remarkably higher value of 3.06 mA cm-2 for the optimized amount of ZrO2 in the modified α-Fe2O3 photoanode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest photocurrent reported for a ZrO2 containing photoanode. The optimized composite electrode produced nine times more oxygen than that produced by pristine hematite.

Electrochromic and optical studies on Nb2O5–NiO mixed oxide films for smart window applications

Coatings of Nickel oxide (NiO), Niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and their mixed oxide (Nb2O5–NiO) were deposited on glass and conducting glass substrates by simple spin coating technique. Structural, morphological, optical and electrochemical properties of the mixed oxide (Nb2O5–NiO) films were analyzed and the data was compared with individual oxide coatings. As-prepared Nb2O5–NiO coatings showed transparent in nature, while Li + intercalated Nb2O5–NiO (termed as Li–Nb2O5–NiO) coatings were black in color. In addition, Nb2O5–NiO coatings showed better electrochromic reversibility and fast switching. All the as-prepared and Li+ intercalated coatings were subjected to IR absorption studies. Interestingly, Li–Nb2O5–NiO coatings showed better Infra-red (IR) absorption whereas bleached Nb2O5–NiO coatings did not show any remarkable IR absorption. The Li–Nb2O5–NiO coating absorbed about 65% of IR radiation falling on it and allowed the remaining 35% radiation to pass through the coating. In order to prevent the remaining 35% of IR radiation from passing through the coating, laser treatment was carried out on the coating using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) unit. This laser treated Li–Nb2O5–NiO coatings showed better IR reflectance compared to normal Li–Nb2O5–NiO due to its improved surface roughness. It is concluded that the collective effect of IR absorption (by modifying the electronic structure of materials by ion intercalation) and IR reflectance (by increasing the surface roughness) played on a laser treated Li– Nb2O5–NiO coating resulted in a better IR blocking window.

Transparent, photosensitive and highly efficient pseudocapacitive binder-free Mo-modified NiO thin film electrode for bifunctional optoelectronic and energy storage applications

We report a novel highly sensitive and pseudocapacitive transparent nickel oxide (NiO) thin film based electrode material fabricated on a conductive glass substrate using a facile binderless electrodeposition process. Effect of the incorporation of Mo-dopant ion on some surface structural and electrochemical properties of the electrode was examined for high performance optoelectronic and charge storage potentials. The material showed some uniqueness in some microstructural features and enhanced degree of crystallinity, suitable for charge extraction and transport with Mo doping. The deposited NiO film demonstrated red shift in band structure by exhibiting optical band gap narrowing from 3.88 to 3.61 eV with increasing Mo content. The degree of disorder as revealed from Urbach response of NiO film was found varying with Mo-content. The material also exhibited enhanced Ni2+ electronic transition states with increasing Mo content which quenched at a critical dopant concentration of 2.4 %. The fabricated NiO thin film electrode showed increased supercapacitive specific capacitance and areal capacity up to a peak value of 1412 Fg−1 and 101 mAh m−2 for 3 % Mo dopant content at 5 mVs−1 scan rate and 0.5 mA cm−2, respectively, but returned diminished at higher dopant content. Excellent cycling stability at ∼ 85 % after 5000 cycles, was also exhibited. Impedance spectroscopic features of Mo-doped NiO electrode indicated fast electrolytic ion transfer response with high rate charge storage capability. The study presents successful fabrication of Mo-modified NiO nanostructured electrode film and demonstrated the influence of Mo impurity on tailoring the properties of NiO host film as suitable electrode in high performance photocatalytic and supercapacitor devices.

Electrochemical Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Rhodamine B) Coating on FTO

In this paper we describe the conditions of electrochemical synthesis of a homogeneous and highly adherent pink film of poly(Rhodamine B) (PRhB) on a conducting glass substrate, which facilitates and enables its optical characterization. The electrosynthesis was performed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic and potentiostatic techniques in 0.1 M KCl as supporting electrolytes and 1 mM Rhodamine B (RhB) as monomer on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) samples. The anodic peak associated with the RhB oxidation appears at 0.977 V during the first scan and shifts to 1.059 V in the following cycles, indicating the increase in the electrical resistance of the polymer coating until it reaches the overpotential to overcome the resistance. Chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry show that the PRhB is obtained at applied current densities and potentials higher than 10 μA cm-2 and 0.8 V, respectively and the polymer coating become thicker and darken with increasing the applied current and potential. Electrochemical methods show that the polymer growth is controlled by the maximum oxidation potential applied. The physico-chemical properties of generated PRhB film has been characterized by different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis). The produced modified electrode would offer a promising candidate for future applications such as sensors and dye synthesized solar cell.

Ultra-Thin SnOx Buffer Layer Enables High-Efficiency Quantum Junction Photovoltaics.

Solution-processed solar cells are promising for the cost-effective, high-throughput production of photovoltaic devices. Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive candidate materials for efficient, solution-processed solar cells, potentially realizing the broad-spectrum light utilization and multi-exciton generation effect for the future efficiency breakthrough of solar cells. The emerging quantum junction solar cells (QJSCs), constructed by n- and p-type CQDs only, open novel avenue for all-quantum-dot photovoltaics with a simplified device configuration and convenient processing technology. However, the development of high-efficiency QJSCs still faces the challenge of back carrier diffusion induced by the huge carrier density drop at the interface of CQDs and conductive glass substrate. Herein, an ultra-thin atomic layer deposited tin oxide (SnOx ) layer is employed to buffer this carrier density drop, significantly reducing the interfacial recombination and capacitance caused by the back carrier diffusion. The SnOx -modified QJSC achieves a record-high efficiency of 11.55% and a suppressed hysteresis factor of 0.04 in contrast with reference QJSC with an efficiency of 10.4% and hysteresis factor of 0.48. This work clarifies the critical effect of interfacial issues on the carrier recombination and hysteresis of QJSCs, and provides an effective pathway to design high-performance all-quantum-dot devices.

Effects of deposition parameters on RF-sputtered WO3 thin films

In the absence of additional oxygen, thin films of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO3) were prepared on indium-doped tin oxide conductive glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The effects of sputtering power, working air pressure, substrate bias voltage and substrate temperature on the surface morphology, microstructure, optical properties and electrochromic (EC) performance of the films were systematically investigated. The research shows that a sputtering power of 80–100 W can ensure a moderate deposition rate of ∼10−2 nm/s and help obtain non-dense films. Similarly, a working air pressure of 1.0 Pa also leads to the deposition of loose films, which is beneficial for the improvement of the optical transmittance and EC performance of tungsten (VI) oxide thin films. The applied substrate bias has little effect on the optical properties, but it will degrade the coloring and/or bleaching efficiency of tungsten (VI) oxide thin films and greatly reduce their optical modulation. When the substrate temperature rises to 600°C, the film begins to crystallize and exhibits a rod-patterned porous structure, which leads to a small increase in the optical modulation.

Acid-treated carbon nanotubes/polypyrrole/fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes with high sensitivity for saliva glucose sensing

To alleviate the discomfort caused by the blood sampling process, a noninvasive saliva glucose sensor is investigated in this study. Owing to the low glucose concentration in the body fluid, the fabricated sensor is requested to possess high sensitivity. Herein, a chemical polymerization method is used to deposit polypyrrole (PPy) on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass substrate followed by modification with acid treated carbon nanotubes (acid-CNTs) via the drop-casting method in order to fabricate acid-CNTs/PPy/FTO electrodes. In addition, the sensing device uses glucose oxidase as an enzyme to catalyze the redox reaction and improve the electrode selectivity. The electron transfer resistance decreases with layer-by-layer CNTs modification, and the acid-treatment time of CNTs significantly affects the sensing performance. The acid-CNTs/PPy/FTO electrodes exhibit excellent sensing performance with a high sensitivity of 95.26 μA/mMcm2 and a broad linear range of 10–700 μM with a R2 of 0.9958. Moreover, the acid-CNTs/PPy/FTO electrodes show high selectivity to glucose along with excellent stability. Furthermore, the sensing capability of the acid-CNTs/PPy/FTO electrode is tested using artificial saliva, that further confirms high potential of acid-CNTs/PPy/FTO electrodes in the noninvasive diagnosis of diabetes.

Band gap and Morphology Engineering of Hematite Nanoflakes from an Ex Situ Sn Doping for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

In this article, we report a simple ex situ Sn-doping method on hematite nanoflakes (coded as MSnO2-H) that can protect the nanoflake (NF) morphology against the 800 °C high-temperature annealing process and activate the photoresponse of hematite until 800 nm wavelength excitation. MSnO2-H has been fabricated by dropping SnCl4 ethanol solution on hematite nanoflakes homogeneously grown over the conductive FTO glass substrate and annealed at 500 °C to synthesize the SnO2 nanoparticles on hematite NFs. The Sn-treated samples were then placed in a furnace again, and the sintering process was conducted at 800 °C for 15 min. During this step, structure deformation of hematite occurs normally due to the grain boundary motion and oriented attachment. However, in the case of MSnO2-H, the outer SnO2 nanoparticles efficiently prevented a shape deformation and maintained the nanoflake shape owing to the encapsulation of hematite NFs. Furthermore, the interface of hematite/SnO2 nanoparticles became the spots for a heavy Sn ion doping. We demonstrated the generation of the newly localized states, resulting in an extension of the photoresponse of hematite until 800 nm wavelength light irradiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SnO2 nanoparticles can effectively act as a passivation layer, which can reduce the onset potential of hematite for water splitting redox reactions. The optimized MSnO2-H nanostructures showed a 2.84 times higher photocurrent density and 300 mV reduced onset potential compared with a pristine hematite nanoflake photoanode.

Comparative study on the influence of transparent glass substrates for antimony telluride thin films via structural and optical properties

Antimony telluride (Sb 2 Te 3 ) thin films were deposited on to non-and conductive-glass substrates ‒ borosilicate (BRS), indium-doped tin oxide (ITO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) using the doctor-blading technique as a white slurry precipitated from the solution during a chemical bath reaction. The study examines the influences of glass substrates on the structural and surface morphology of Sb 2 Te 3 thin films. The calculated structural parameters indicated that different glass substrates impacted the properties of Sb 2 Te 3 thin films. All optical parameters were investigated based on transmittance ( T ( λ )) and reflectance ( R ( λ )) spectra in the wavelength range of 300–1100 nm. The average energy band gap ( E g ) was calculated from the indirect ( E g i n d ) and direct ( E g d i ) energy band gaps and was estimated to be 1.44, 1.68, and 1.53 eV for BRS/Sb 2 Te 3 , ITO/Sb 2 Te 3 , and FTO/Sb 2 Te 3 , respectively. Importantly, the highest values for the χ (1) , χ (3) , and n 2 approximately of 0.0322, 1.92 × 10 −16 esu., and 5.91 × 10 −15 esu. respectively were achieved in the energy range from 2.0 to 3.5 eV for BRS/Sb 2 Te 3 . The highest β c of 86.31 cm/GW was obtained in the energy range from 1.23 to 1.65 eV. These results suggest the strong possibility of using the Sb 2 Te 3 thin film on BRS glass in nonlinear optical devices for the UV-visible region, such as optical quantum electronics, optical limiting, fast optical switching, and high-speed communication devices. This demonstration will open a new strategy and novel approach for the design and experimental fabrication of this kind of material. • Non-and conductive glass substrates were studied for the impacts of Sb 2 Te 3 thin films. • Lowest E g value correlated with the growth of Sb 2 Te 3 nanograins on borosilicate glass. • Influences of glass substrates on linear/nonlinear optical parameters were investigated. • Higher values of nonlinear optical parameters for borosilicate glass/Sb 2 Te 3 were revealed.