Effect of cobalt addition on structural, optical, morphological and magnetic properties of NiO nanoparticles prepared by chemical precipitation method

Abstract

The modification in the microstructural, functional group, optical, morphological and magnetic properties of pure and different concentrations (0.01 M to 0.04 M) of cobalt doped NiO nanoparticles synthesized by chemical precipitation method is examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Photoluminescence (PL), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction pattern (SAED) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The average grain size of pure NiO and cobalt doped NiO nanoparticles are 16.37 nm, 18.36 nm, 21.42 nm, 16.83 nm and 18.36 nm respectively. The UV absorbance study shows a strong absorption peak in ultraviolet visible region. The band gap values of pure NiO and cobalt doped NiO nanoparticles are 2.32 eV, 3.14 eV, 3.08 eV, 3.03 eV and 3.06 eV respectively. The incorporation of cobalt into NiO nanoparticles have strongly influenced the magnetic behaviour and the material got converted from weak ferromagnetic into ferromagnetic material.