Chromium substitution induced effects on the structure optical and electrical properties of yttrium oxide

The CrxY2-xO3 (x = 0.0, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.075) nanomaterials were synthesized for the first time through the solvothermal method in the presence of polyethylene glycol, followed by an annealing process at 700 degrees C. The partial substitution effects of the Y3+ by the Cr3+ on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the CrxY2-xO3 nanomaterials are studied and discussed. The increase of the Cr content has a small effect on the structural and crystallite size of the CrxY2-xO3 nanomaterials. UV-vis spectroscopic results showed an apparent decrease in the direct band gap energies. The obtained results show a decrease in the electrical conductivity when the Cr amount increases. The acconductivity was studied as a function of frequency and temperature. The plots of exponent (n) versus temperature suggest that the conduction mechanism can be described using the correlated barrier hopping model. The improved optical properties make this material a promising candidate for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications.