Tuning of optical and antibacterial characteristics of ZnO thin films: Role of Ce content

The properties of Ce-doped ZnO (CZO) thin films synthesized through sol-gel dip coating processing were evaluated. Five thin films were synthesized by increasing Ce percentage between 1-5 at. wt.%. The XRD study put forward that Ce doped ZnO displayed hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure and Ce ions are embedded in the ZnO lattice successfully. Results showed that the crystallite size decreased, as the percentage of Ce in the ZnO increased. The lattice volume of the thin film was distorted in the presence of Ce. Broadening and shrinking of the band gap took place under different Ce doping concentrations due to generation of defects and appearance of secondary phase. All thin film has shown antibacterial activity.