Background:
Various interesting consequences are reported on structural,
optical, and photoluminescence properties of Zn1-xSmxO (x=0, 0.01, 0.03
and 0.05) nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion route.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the effects of Sm3+-doping on structural
and photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanoparticles.
Methods:
Zn1-xSmxO (x=0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05) nanoparticles were synthesized
by sol-gel auto combustion method.
Results:
XRD patterns confirmed the Sm3+ ion substitution through the undisturbed
wurtzite structure of ZnO. The crystallite size was decreased from 24.33
to 18.46 nm with Sm3+ doping. The hexagonal and spherical morphology of nanoparticles
was confirmed by TEM analysis. UV-visible studies showed that Sm3+
ion doping improved the visible light absorption capacity of Sm3+ iondoped ZnO
nanoparticles. PL spectra of Sm3+ ion-doped ZnO nanoparticles showed an
orange-red emission peak corresponding to 4G5/2→6HJ (J=7/2, 9/2 and 11/2) transition
of Sm3+ ion. Sm3+ ion-induced PL was proposed with a substantial increase
in PL intensity with a blue shift in peak upon Sm3+ content increase.
Conclusion:
Absorption peaks associated with doped ZnO nanoparticles were
moved to a longer wavelength side compared to ZnO, with bandgap declines
when Sm3+ ions concentration was increased. PL studies concluded that ZnO
emission properties could be tuned in the red region along with the existence of
blue peaks upon Sm3+ ion doping, which also results in enhancing the PL intensity.
These latest properties related to Sm3+ ion-doped nanoparticles prepared by a
cost-efficient process appear to be interesting in the field of optoelectronic applications,
which makes them a prominent candidate in the form of red light-emitting
diodes.