Facile Synthesis And Improved Optical Activity In ZnO Nanocrystallites Doped With Coinage Metals

We report the growth of well-oriented rod and flower-like nanostructures of ZnO doped with copper, gold and silver synthesized by sonochemical method. The nanostructures were grown in a nutrient solution made of zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O) and ammonia at low temperature with varying the dopant. XRD, TEM, UV-VIS, photoluminescence and FTIR spectra were recorded to study the crystallinity, microstructure and optical properties of the samples. XRD results show the formation of hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO with changing lattice parameters with doping. Both direct and indirect evidences were obtained from the XRD pattern confirming the incorporation of the dopant. Enhanced UV absorbance and PL emissions for ZnO has been observed and the role of Cu, Ag and Au in altering these properties has been investigated. Shift in UV band and evolution of new visible emission bands in the Pl spectra have been explained on the basis of incorporation of impurity occupying different states in the band gap of ZnO.