Comparative study of Tb, Gd and Dy-doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract

In the present study Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), and Gadolinium (Gd) doped ZnO nanoparticles Zn1-x(Tb; Dy; Gd)xO [where, x = 0.02] were prepared by conventional sol–gel method. Already synthesized samples of the above-said concentration were compared for their structural and magnetic properties using XRD, FTIR, and VSM. Though Tb, Dy, and Gd all belong to the same family of rare earth ions due to differences in their ionic radii and magnetic moments, the structural properties of ZnO vary in all cases despite taking equal dopant concentrations of all the dopant ions. XRD profiles of all the compositions exhibit hexagonal wurtzite-type crystallinity belonging to the P63mnc space group. FTIR spectra of all the compositions possess broad hump representing the hydroxyl group and small kinks at 553 cm−1 and 472 cm−1 corresponding to ZnO stretching vibration. Magnetic transformations from diamagnetic to weak ferromagnetic were observed due to the intrusion of rare earth ions in the lattice framework of host ZnO as pristine ZnO displays diamagnetic ordering.