Cr doping assisted tuning of functional properties of ZnO nanorods prepared by fast solution route

Abstract

In this work, single-crystalline Zn1−x Cr x O (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) nanorods were prepared by a facile microwave-assisted solution method, and their significant correlation between structural, optical, morphological and magnetic properties was investigated. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that Cr-doped ZnO was comprised of single-phase nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and TEM micrographs suggested that the pure nanorods with an average length of ~2 µm and a diameter in the range of 150–200 nm, respectively, were observed. Interestingly, the size of nanorods decreased with the increase in Cr concentration in ZnO. There is striking similarities between changes in the lattice volume, bandgap energy, morphology and the saturation magnetization caused by Cr doping. Unit cell volume, value of saturation magnetization and bandgap was decreased with the increase in Cr doping. Zn vacancies, together with Cr doping, played an important role in the ferromagnetic origin of Zn1−x Cr x O nanorods. Single-crystalline Zn1−x Cr x O (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) nanorods were prepared by a facile microwave-assisted solution method showing the relationship between lattice volume, bandgap energy, morphology and the saturation magnetization.