Influence of magnesium doping on microstructure, optical and photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide thin films synthesis by sol-gel route

The article deals with the effect of Mg dopant on the properties and the photocatalytic of ZnO films synthesized by the sol-gel technique onto glass substrates. It is found that Mg dopant has a strong influence on the microstructure and functional properties. The EDX analysis revealed that Mg had been incorporated into the ZnO. Structural studies through XRD have shown that the deposited films are of hexagonal structure with a preferential growth along the c-axis and nanometer crystal size. According to AFM analysis; it is found that the roughness of Mg-doped ZnO films increases with the Mg dopant. The film surface depicted wrinkles morphology as observed by ESEM. Optical investigations by spectrophotometry and photoluminescence revealed that as the Mg dopant is increased, the optical band-gap increases. Moreover, near band edge and visible emissions as probed by Photoluminescence can be manipulated by the Mg dopant, as their intensity increases and decreases, respectively. Finally, the photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue is strongly improved all the more as the Mg content is increased.

Automated summary

The Mg dopant significantly affects the microstructure and functional properties of ZnO films, leading to an increase in photocatalytic activity. The roughness of the film surface increases with Mg doping, impacting optical properties and fluorescence intensity.