Title:Role of Sm<sup>3+</sup> Doping on Structural, Optical and Photoluminescence Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-gel Auto- combustion Method
VOLUME: 5 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Eshwara I. Naik, Halehatty S.B. Naik* and Ranganaik Viswanath
Affiliation:Department of PG Studies and Research in Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Karnataka 577451, Department of PG Studies and Research in Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Karnataka 577451, Department of PG Studies and Research in Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, Karnataka 577451
Keywords:ZnO, Sm-doped ZnO, sol-gel auto-combustion method, X-ray diffraction, bandgap tunability,
photoluminescence.
Abstract:
Background: Various interesting consequences are reported on structural,
optical, and photoluminescence properties of Zn1-xSmxO (x=0, 0.01, 0.03
and 0.05) nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion route.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of Sm3+-doping on structural
and photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanoparticles.
Methods: Zn1-xSmxO (x=0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05) nanoparticles were synthesized
by sol-gel auto combustion method.
Results: XRD patterns confirmed the Sm3+ ion substitution through the undisturbed
wurtzite structure of ZnO. The crystallite size was decreased from 24.33
to 18.46 nm with Sm3+ doping. The hexagonal and spherical morphology of nanoparticles
was confirmed by TEM analysis. UV-visible studies showed that Sm3+
ion doping improved the visible light absorption capacity of Sm3+ iondoped ZnO
nanoparticles. PL spectra of Sm3+ ion-doped ZnO nanoparticles showed an
orange-red emission peak corresponding to 4G5/2→6HJ (J=7/2, 9/2 and 11/2) transition
of Sm3+ ion. Sm3+ ion-induced PL was proposed with a substantial increase
in PL intensity with a blue shift in peak upon Sm3+ content increase.
Conclusion: Absorption peaks associated with doped ZnO nanoparticles were
moved to a longer wavelength side compared to ZnO, with bandgap declines
when Sm3+ ions concentration was increased. PL studies concluded that ZnO
emission properties could be tuned in the red region along with the existence of
blue peaks upon Sm3+ ion doping, which also results in enhancing the PL intensity.
These latest properties related to Sm3+ ion-doped nanoparticles prepared by a
cost-efficient process appear to be interesting in the field of optoelectronic applications,
which makes them a prominent candidate in the form of red light-emitting
diodes.
