Trap assisted visible light luminescent properties of hydrothermally grown Gd doped ZnO nanostructures

Pristine ZnO and Gd-doped ZnO nanostructures were synthesized via the hydrothermal route to study the influence of Gd doping on the growth and properties of the nanostructures. Synthesized nanostructures were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction technique (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-visible spectroscopy. Optical study demonstrated that the nanostructures exhibit good visible light transmittance and absorbs ultraviolet light energy. Photoluminescence (PL) study of the nanostructures showed that Gd-doping enhanced the PL activity of the nanostructures by possible introduction of the defect levels. The corresponding augmentation in PL intensity (visible light luminescent intensity) is attributed to comparative increase in crystallinity, complex defects (traps) and electron hole pair recombination rate. This enhanced luminescent property of Gd-doped ZnO nanostructures can be exploited for the luminescence based applications like sensors, UV-Lasers, phosphors, LEDs, luminescent biolabels, etc.

Automated summary

The Gd-doped ZnO nanostructures synthesized through the hydrothermal route exhibit good optical properties, enhanced photoluminescence activity, and can be applied in various fields such as sensors, UV-Lasers, phosphors, LEDs, and luminescent biolabels. The enhancement in luminescent property is attributed to an increase in crystallinity, complex defects, and electron-hole pair recombination rate.