Efficacy of photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of Mn doped ZrO2 nanoparticles by facile precipitation method

Abstract

Pure ZrO2 and Mn (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 M) doped ZrO2 nanoparticles were successfully prepared by chemical precipitation method. The structural, optical, morphological and electronic properties were determined using XRD, UV-DRS, PL, FE-SEM, TEM and XPS techniques. The XRD pattern of pure and Mn doped ZrO2 shows the formation of t-tetragonal phase and shifting of tetragonal phase to monoclinic phase. The energy gap of pure and Mn doped ZrO2 nanoparticles were computed by UV-DRS spectroscopy. The energy gap value of pure and Mn doped ZrO2 nanoparticles decreased from 5.12 to 2.46 eV with increase of manganese concentration. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) affirmed the presence of Zr4+ and Mn2+ ion in prepared nanoparticles. PL spectra of the pure and Mn doped ZrO2 nanoparticles exhibited oxygen vacancies. The photocatalytic actvity of Mn (0.08 M) doped ZrO2 nanoparticles was successfully sought on photo degradation of Methyl violet and Methylene blue under sunlight irradiation.