Synthesis of Rare Earth Element (Gd) Doped ZnO Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel Method and Examination of Their Characteristic Properties

Year 2024, Volume: 24 Issue: 2, 424 - 433, 29.04.2024

Fatma Aydın Ünal

https://doi.org/10.35414/akufemubid.1371091

Abstract

In this study, gadolinium (Gd) element, one of the rare earth elements, was doped to the semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) material at a rate of 10% per mole and synthesized at the nanoscale according to the sol-gel method. Morphological-chemical properties of the obtained gadolinium-doped zinc oxide (Gd/ZnO) nanoparticles were examined by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), structural properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical band properties by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and physical properties by particle size analysis. The study aimed to investigate the effect of Gd doping on ZnO and the use of Gd/ZnO nanoparticles in semiconductor technology. Structural study confirmed the wurtzite formation of Gd/ZnO nanoparticles by XRD study. Crystallite size, dislocation density, and microstrain values were calculated from XRD analysis. SEM/EDX analysis showed that Gd doping was successfully synthesized. Using the Tauc Plot method, the direct and indirect band gap values were calculated as 3.06 eV and 2.89 eV, respectively, and the effect of the Gd dopant on the band gap was examined. A red shift was observed with the doping of Gd3+ ions to ZnO. The average particle size distribution of the Gd/ZnO sample was obtained as 209.4 nm. The results obtained were compared with undoped ZnO in the literature. As a result, it was shown that the synthesized Gd/ZnO nanoparticles could be used as nanomaterials in the semiconductor industry, especially in solar cells

Keywords

ZnO, Gd, synthesis, sol-gel, characterization, nano

Nadir Toprak Elementi (Gd) Katkılı ZnO Nanoparçacıkların Sol-Jel Yöntemi ile Sentezlenmesi ve Karakteristik Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada yarı iletken çinko oksit (ZnO) malzemesine nadir toprak elementlerinden biri olan gadolinyum (Gd) elementi molce %10 oranında katkılanarak sol-jel yöntemine göre nanoboyutta sentezlendi. Elde edilen gadolinyum katkılı çinko oksit (Gd/ZnO) nanoparçacıkların morfolojik-kimyasal özellikleri taramalı elektron mikroskobu/enerji dağılımlı X-ışını spektroskopisi (SEM/EDX), yapısal özellikleri X-ışını kırınımı (XRD), optik bant özellikleri ultraviyole görünür (UV-Vis) spektroskopisi ve fiziksel özellikleri parçacık boyutu analiziyle karakterize edildi. Çalışmada Gd katkılamanın ZnO üzerine etkisi ve Gd/ZnO nanoparçacığının yarı iletken teknolojisinde kullanımının araştırılması amaçlandı. Yapısal çalışma Gd/ZnO nanoparçacıklarının wurtzite oluşumunu XRD çalışması ile doğruladı. XRD analizinden kristalit boyutu, dislokasyon yoğunluğu ve mikro gerinim değerleri hesaplandı. SEM/EDX analizi Gd katkılamanın başarılı bir şekilde sentezlendiğini gösterdi. Tauc Plot metodu ile direkt ve indirekt bant aralığı değerleri sırasıyla 3.06 eV ve 2.89 eV olarak hesaplanarak Gd katkı maddesinin bant aralığı üzerindeki etkisi incelendi. Gd3+ iyonlarının ZnO yapısına katkılanmasıyla kırmızıya kayma gözlendi. Gd/ZnO örneğinin ortalama parçacık boyutu dağılımı 209.4 nm olarak elde edildi. Elde edilen sonuçlar literatürdeki katkısız ZnO ile karşılaştırıldı. Sonuç olarak, sentezlenen Gd/ZnO nanoparçacıkların yarıiletken endüstrisinde nanomalzeme olarak, özellikle de güneş pillerinde kullanım alanı bulabileceğini gösterdi.

Keywords

Zno, Gd, sentez, sol-jel, karakterizasyon, nano

Thanks

Analiz desteği için Fotonik Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi ile Prof. Dr. Süleyman Özçelik’e teşekkür ederim.

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