Synthesis of Cu doped Cd(OH)2-CdO layered nanostructures and investigation of its different intermediate phases, optical and dc-electrical properties

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of thermal treatment and doping concentration on Cu doped Cd(OH)(2)-CdO nanostructures. Firstly, Cu:Cd(OH)2 nanopowder has been evolved by a famous wet chemical 'Coprecipitation' technique. Then, Cu doped CdO nanostructure is obtained through thermal decomposition of the prepared hydroxide. The prepared samples are characterized by XRD, FTIR, TG-DTA, SEM-EDS, TEM, UV-vis, PL and dc-electrical techniques. In thermal analysis (DTA), as prepared sample showed a strong endothermic peak centered at 205 degrees C attributed to the crystallization of acetate precursors in hexagonal Cd(OH)(2). After annealing at 750 degrees C, the platelet structure of Cu doped Cd(OH)(2) has been transformed into cubic CdO. SEM and TEM analysis demonstrated the formation of hexagonal layered structures and then the spherical morphology of prepared nanostructures. Bandgap energy is obtained in the range 3.85-4.15 eV by Tauc's plot. In PL results, intense emission peak appeared at 428 nm originated from excitonic transitions while peaks at 500, 580 nm may be ascribed to NBE and structural defects. The blue emission at 441 nm is suggested to originate from the doped Cu ions. The dc-conductivity, carrier concentration, and mobility increases with Cu ion concentration. The largest mobility was observed for the sample having 2 wt % Cu ions. The electrical properties emphasized that the prepared samples of Cu doped Cd(OH)(2)-CdO nanostructures may be utilized as the alternative of traditional optical nanomaterials with superior electronic properties.